ChenMed Celebrates the Contributions and Culture of Black History with the Theme of "Black Resistance"

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Feb 28, 2023, 15:25 ET

The healthcare provider's 2023 Black History Month theme inspires company-wide conversations and educational content led by employee resource groups (ERGs)

MIAMI, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ChenMed, one of the nation's leading primary care providers, continues transforming the healthcare of the neediest populations and celebrating the company's award-winning culture and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, with extensive and provocative Black History Month programming, with a broad range of learning focused on friendly dialogue for its employees. ChenMed's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have created a nine-page Black History Month toolkit distributed company-wide that spotlights the Association for the Study of African American Life & History's 2023 theme of "Black Resistance." This series of internal discussions and educational content comes as ChenMed continues its efforts to reduce medical mistrust in the minority communities it serves nationwide.

Team members at Dedicated Senior Medical Center in Jacksonville, FL celebrate Black History Month. Pictured (left to right) are Dr. May Montrichard, primary care physician; Dr. Julie Allen, center medical director; Fabonia Jackson, center director in training; Cheryl McGruder, nurse practitioner.

By living out its values, ChenMed strives to eliminate disparities and racial inequities in health care. The company does this by fostering a culture of inclusion, celebrating the diversity of its team members and patients, investing in workforce equity, creating an inclusive patient experience, and making a difference in the communities it serves.

Its employee culture consists of four Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) including, All Working to Achieve Racial Equity and Equality (AWARE²), Women Inspire Network (WIN), Veterans Engagement Team (VET), and ChenMed Healthcare Allied Respecting Individuality and Sexuality for Members and Associates (CHARISMA). Together, these groups have aligned to celebrate and honor the contributions of Black culture.

"Our Culture team, in partnership with AWARE², an Employee Resource Group formed to advocate for racial equity and social change in the workplace and communities we serve, has developed programming to educate and engage team members to have meaningful conversations during Black History Month," says Stephanie Chen, Chief Legal and Culture Officer at ChenMed. "Celebrating our diverse workforce year-round, but especially during heritage and history months, is an integral part of how we foster a culture of inclusion here at ChenMed."

The multifaceted effort fueled meaningful conversations among employees and patients alike – all to help ChenMed better bridge the healthcare disparities gap that's long affected Black and disenfranchised communities across America. So, it is not surprising that the innovative medical practice, which now honors seniors by delivering affordable VIP care through more than 120 centers in 15 states (all in underserved neighborhoods), continues to value every person's unique background and perspective.

Coordinated by its All Working to Achieve Racial Equity and Equality (AWARE²) Employee Resource Group, in collaboration with Culture and DEI staff, ChenMed enriched the workplace by:

Creating and distributing a nine-page Black History Month toolkit spotlighting the Association for the Study of African American Life & History's 2023 theme of "Black Resistance."
Circulating weekly newsletters throughout the month of February that includes engaging and educational information to help create space for meaningful conversations between team members.
Hosting multiple Fireside Chats, titled "Trials & Triumphs," where Black leaders at ChenMed share their background, experiences, and challenges they've navigated throughout their careers.
Advancing ChenMed efforts to reduce medical mistrust in the diverse minority communities the value-based care provider serves nationwide.
Making servant leadership an integral part of Black History Month by providing team members with resources to give back to the communities they serve, many of which are communities of color.

ChenMed has earned many national and regional awards as an employer of choice, and the company encourages employees to get involved with Employee Resource Groups aligned with their interests. These ERGs collaborate with ChenMed's Culture and DEI team, as well as with medical and operations leaders throughout the organization, to help ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion flourish as company strengths.

Other employee resource groups have joined the conversation by sharing personally curated Black History Month content with colleagues. Dwayne Houston, a Membership Growth Consultant for the company, posts in his CHARIMSA group chat every day, spotlighting current and historic Black LGBTQ+ activists throughout history. These include trailblazers such as Wallace Henry Thurman, Angelina Weld Grimké, Paris K.C. Barclay, and Niki Franco.

"Knowing where someone has been gives insight and value to where they're going. We should have the same Love, Accountability, and Passion for one another as we do for our seniors. Like them, we all have an interesting story to tell. I love that ChenMed's ERGs allow us to listen and connect these stories, especially during Black History Month," says Houston.

About ChenMed
ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management, and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The growing company operates more than 120 senior medical centers in 15 states. Named a Fortune 2020 "Change the World" company, twice named a "Most Loved Workplace" by Newsweek Magazine, and a Certified Best Place to Work® by the Best Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center, and JenCare Senior Medical Center. Thanks to its nimble and growing software entity, Curity, ChenMed also was recently named "The" by IDG's Insider Pro and ComputerWorld.

SOURCE ChenMed