# An Update from the UNC Health Executive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council

The UNC Health System Executive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council, which was established in June, is actively working to elevate and embrace a culture of DEI throughout all aspects of UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine and to measure and evaluate the progress and effectiveness of current (and future) initiatives. 

The UNC Health System Executive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council, which was established in June, is actively working to elevate and embrace a culture of DEI throughout all aspects of UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine and to measure and evaluate the progress and effectiveness of current (and future) initiatives.

A few key updates from the Council include:

  * We encourage everyone to review the System Executive DEI Council roster (listed below) and send any questions, ideas or concerns related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to diversity@unchealth.unc.edu.
  * The DEI Council wants to congratulate Chatham Hospital, which was acknowledged as an Equity of Care Award honoree, by the American Hospital Association.
  * Thank you to the more than 550 co-workers who participated in our recent ‘A Space for You’ co-worker forums. In addition to virtual sessions, we held several in-person sessions (with appropriate physical distancing!) in both English and Spanish. The feedback and ideas from ‘A Space for You’ have been organized into common themes and shared with the System Executive DEI Council and entity leaders. We will share themes in the coming weeks with everyone.
  * Many thanks to the more than 6,500 co-workers and providers across UNC Health who completed the recent DEI Survey. For additional insight and perspective, we conducted interviews among nearly 40 co-workers, who were randomly selected among the more than 1,200 co-workers indicating their desire for an in-person interview as part of the DEI Survey. We will share results from the DEI Survey in the coming weeks.
  * Dr. Crystal Cené’s work as UNC Health’s System Executive Director for Health Equity is underway and focused on understanding the barriers to care for underserved groups and then leading a comprehensive, research and data-driven approach to improve access to care.
  * Long-term, the DEI Council will outline priorities for UNC Health and develop a five-year strategic plan to elevate and enhance our DEI efforts.



Please know that, while there is much more work to be done, UNC Health is continuing to work towards a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, and living up to our values: Carolina Care, One Great Team, Leading the Way and It Starts With Me.

Our work to build a true DEI culture is part of ensuring we have One Great Team, and we look forward to sharing more information on the work of the DEI Council, initiatives and FY21 Goals in the coming weeks.

## **Council Members:**

Cristy Page, MD, MPH (co-chair) Executive Dean, UNC School of Medicine

Aleyah Pryor-Pankey, MSHR (co-chair) System Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, UNC Health

Crystal Cené, MD, MPHSystem Executive Director for Health Equity, UNC Health

Nate Thomas, PhD, Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, UNC School of Medicine

Janet Hadar, MBA, President, UNC Hospitals

Tonya Brown, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, UNC Rockingham Health Care

Lynne Fiscus, MD, MPH, President & CEO, UNC Physicians Network

Ernie Bovio, MBA, MHA, President, UNC REX Healthcare

Scott Doak, MBA, Chief Human Resources Officer, UNC Health

Laura Easton, MSN, President & CEO, Caldwell UNC Health Care

Julie Byerley, MD, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, UNC School of Medicine

Mark Gwynne, MD, President, UNC Health Alliance

Maraya Thorland, MPH, System VP of Strategy Execution, UNC Health

Steve Burriss, MBA, President, UNC Triangle Hospitals

Victor Reiss, MBA, VP of Consumerism & Insights, Communications & Marketing

Sylvia Hackett, MSL, VP, REX Healthcare Foundation

Genevieve Neal-Perry, MD, PhD, Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine

Stuart Gold, MD, Chief, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

**Council Support Team:**

Alyssa Zamierowski, Project Coordinator, UNC Health & UNC School of Medicine Administration

Jose Magaña Paredes, Senior Strategy Consultant, Strategic Planning

George Karageorgiou, System Manager of Business Development, Strategic Planning

Will Arey, Director, Internal Communications, Communications & Marketing