This year, Yale New Haven Hospital’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council is recognizing the national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by focusing on one of his celebrated quotes: The time is always right to do what is right.
“By the very nature of our work in health care, YNHH employees embody this value each day,” said Tina Bennett, system director, Patient Experience. “Providing patient care, directly or indirectly, gives us the opportunity to do what is right in order to give patients and families the best healthcare experience possible.”
Staff members “do what is right” time and time again, as evidenced by stories shared at morning safety huddles and team meetings and through nominations for the Patient Experience Award for Caring and Excellence (PEACE).
The YNHH DEI Council typically hosts a more formal program in celebration of Dr. King and the values he exemplified, but decided to postpone the event due to the current, pandemic-related stress on the health system.
“We are in the midst of an incredibly busy time within our health system and our communities,” said Kathy Tucker, RN, clinical program director, Heart and Vascular Center, and YNHH DEI Council co-chair. “In stressful times like these, amplifying messages of civility and compassion is especially important.”
MLK Day was Jan. 17, but in a continuing salute to Dr. King and his legacy, the YNHH DEI Council will host a program in the coming weeks focusing on the issue of health equity within the hospital and communities, and the importance of exercising one’s right to vote at all levels. Watch for more details.
