DEI, More than a Buzzword

By Tonya Odom

For so long as I can keep in mind, I’ve been enthusiastic about justice. I used to be invested in Variety, Fairness and Inclusion (DEI) earlier than DEI was thought-about a buzzword. It’s why I went to regulation college. It’s why I served as a choose and why as just a little lady, I used to be the one telling everybody round me what was and was not truthful. It’s why I’m now proud to work for a corporation that places DEI on the forefront of what we do.

At CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), we acknowledge that the best way it’s, will not be the way it ought to be. We now have the instruments to make a distinction in our communities, and we’re doing simply that. A technique we have an effect on change is by remembering to look again and see how far now we have come. I’ve all the time been of the mindset to have a good time the wins however not lose sight of the vacation spot. We nonetheless have an extended technique to go to advance well being fairness and scale back disparities in care, however it provides us hope to see that, as an organization, now we have deliberately proven up for our communities by way of volunteer efforts, interventions, and grant {dollars}.

I’m honored that in our wanting again, we’re taking time to have a good time Juneteenth. That is our second yr giving our staff the time without work to have a good time the nationwide Vacation. A day that amplifies the truth that a bunch of individuals in Galveston, Texas, had been nonetheless being enslaved two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is just by going through the laborious truths of the previous that we are able to do the work to rectify the inequities of at this time. Some persons are of the mindset that systemic racism will simply go away over time. I’ve lived lengthy sufficient to know that programs which are constructed to negatively affect a bunch of individuals, won’t simply disappear. It takes these of us with a stage of ardour and intentionality to maneuver the needle.

Creating working environments the place all the workers come to work and really feel secure and heard is paramount to progress. If we’re to positively affect working outcomes, it should be a part of our every day mission, values, and dedication. Supporting an enriched tradition and surroundings of inclusion, fairness and belonging throughout a richly numerous group of individuals of various ages, races, religions, ethnicities, cultures, skills, financial statuses, identities, and sexual orientations makes us all see the world, its issues and finally, its options. I’m really proud to play a job in ensuring that CareFirst continues to paved the way, as DEI is a lot greater than a buzz phrase.

In regards to the Writer: A. Tonya Odom is the Director of Variety, Fairness and Inclusion (DEI) at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst). Tonya has over 25 years of expertise in strategic range planning and management. As Director of DEI at CareFirst, Tonya leads the corporate’s continued dedication to recruiting, creating and retaining a various and inclusive workforce to design progressive healthcare options for the individuals and communities CareFirst serves.