At Yale New Haven Hospital diversity and inclusion are important components of our organizational values. The hospital is committed to providing an environment of inclusion that supports the diversity of its patients, visitors, employees, business partners and communities.
Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) serves, employs and does business with people and organizations representing many different dimensions of diversity, including race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, physical or mental disability, citizenship status or any other basis protected by law.
The hospital’s Diversity and Inclusion Team promotes and supports diversity in these key areas:
Yale New Haven Hospital is committed to providing an environment that encourages the talents and recognizes the uniqueness of each employee. We believe a diverse workforce helps the hospital interact effectively with a diverse community and provides the highest-quality, patient-centered care.
The hospital is strongly committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action and demonstrates this commitment through a policy of providing equal employment opportunities to all employees.
The hospital does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state and local law.
All selection decisions are made in line with the Equal Employment Opportunity principle and the hospital’s current Affirmative Action Plan goals. The hospital’s policy of non-discrimination applies to recruiting, hiring, training, transferring, promoting, assignments, compensation and all other personnel decisions.
YNHH provides a diversity and inclusion component in new employee orientation, diversity and inclusion training for all staff and other resources. The hospital’s diversity and inclusion resources also include an Office of Workforce Diversity.
Yale New Haven Hospital, as part of Yale New Haven Health System, has been recognized for diversity and inclusion by the National Human Rights Campaign as a LGBT top performer in healthcare equality award.
The hospital has also been recognized for diversity and inclusion by the AARP: Best Employers for Workers Over 50; and National Association for Female Executives: 10 Nonprofits for Executive Women.
We define diversity, Equity and Inclusion as any difference that sets groups and people apart, the fair treatment, access and opportunity for all people, and the provision of opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized.
Aspects of personal and cultural backgrounds that reflect our community’s diverse expectations, values and communication styles may include:
YNHHS has created a system-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy through formation of a Health System executive DE&I Committee and DE&I councils at each healthcare delivery network. The work of these teams involve helping to create an inclusive and supportive environment that embraces the diversity of our employees, patients/families, physicians, visitors and community. The teams are committed to identifying and weaving key diversity principles into day-to-day operations, promoting an understanding of unconscious bias and to foster conscious inclusion. Their work is to help leverage diversity, equity and inclusion. By actively leveraging our diverse personal and cultural backgrounds, Yale New Haven Health is establishing a supportive culture that better enables us to:
At Yale New Haven Health, employees are encouraged to participate in training and education activities that help grow personally and professionally and better serve patients regardless of background. Examples include:
Career Development
At Yale New Haven Health, we recognize the importance of investing in training and education opportunities for all employees. Employees have access to online and in person career counseling services, which can outline plans for advancement in your chosen field and help those who are interested in advanced education. Our Institute for Excellence develops leadership talent through dynamic learning experiences, including courses in communication, conflict management and valuing differences. Staff also have an opportunity to participate in an on-site School at Work program, which gives employees an opportunity to refresh or develop skills and to be better prepared as they pursue their formal education.
Culturally Competent Care Training
This year-long program for recently hired nurses helps them navigate effective communications between physicians, patients and other staff regardless of personal and cultural background.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training
Staff have access to numerous facilitator-lead trainings, e-learning modules and educational resources to increase their professional and personal levels of awareness. These courses offer unique opportunities for employees to learn how stereotypes and unconscious biases can impact the quality of care we provide to patients and how well we connect with our colleagues. Education and awareness initiatives represent a critical part in creating inclusive environments and overcoming barriers to effective communication in the workplace.
Health Equity Index Leader Status
Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals have been awarded Top Performer status by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The HEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. A record 906 healthcare facilities actively participated in the 2022 HEI survey and 251 of those earned an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” designation.
Yale New Haven Health strives to provide opportunity to qualified business, including those owned by small, minority, women, local, veteran and service-disabled veterans. We proactively identify minority-owned businesses and offer them a chance to compete with other suppliers. We welcome the opportunity to build strong, rewarding relationships with high-quality, diverse suppliers and service providers in our communities.
