Commitment against racism
[Music playing]
Reflect
1883-1989: Mother Mary Alfred Moes collaborated with William Worrall Mayo, M.D., to build Saint Marys Hospital. This was a time of anti-Catholic sentiment in Rochester and many in the community were suspicious of the partnership.
1898: Gertrude Booker Granger, M.D., was the first female physician hired at Mayo Clinic.
1917: The first graduate degrees were conferred to Mayo Foundation students.
1979: Jack Clark, D.D.S., M.D., became the first African American consultant on July 1, 1979.
1979: Franklyn Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D., became the second African American consultant at Mayo Clinic on December 1, 1979.
1982: Audrey Nelson, M.D., was the first woman appointed to Mayo Clinic Board of Governors.
2010: Office of Diversity and Inclusion established; Sharonne Hayes, M.D., appointed as first Medical Director.
2013: Office of Health Equity and Inclusion was established; John Knudsen, M.D. was appointed as first Medical Director.
2020: Chyke Doubeni, M.B.B.S., appointed Director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research.
2020: Anjali Bhagra, M.D., appointed Medical Director of Mayo Clinic’s Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.
2020: Mayo Clinic closes the doors of the Plummer Building as a commitment to end racism.
Inspire
[photos are shown from the Plummer Building ceremony]
Strengthen
[photos are shown from a variety of diversity events]
Empower
[photos are shown from the EverybodyIn programs]
Incidents of racism and violence against the Black community have occurred relentlessly over our history as a country. Things must change.
Mayo Clinic stands against racism and prejudice in all forms. And on behalf of the organization, the Board of Governors is making a commitment of $100 million to work on:
- Eliminating bias in medicine and science
- Giving equitable access to Mayo Clinic's knowledge and services to patients, addressing barriers
- Achieving true belonging among Mayo Clinic's staff and students
- Reflecting the diversity of our patients and communities among our staff and students
- Reflecting our overall staff diversity profile in Mayo Clinic's top leadership
Driven by our values, we are here to publicly state that we are renewing our focus on fulfilling our vision for who we aspire to be: a place of equity, inclusion, and opportunity for all, including our Black staff and patients and for the entire Black community.
Aligning with our path leading to 2030, Mayo Clinic is pledging $100 million over the next 10 years to eliminate racism and advance equity and inclusion within Mayo Clinic, and to improve health equity. We will make sure every dollar of this commitment is put to meaningful and actionable use.
In education, we will strengthen our diversity and inclusion pipeline programs for health care professionals.
In research, we will increase diverse recruitment of investigators and clinical trial accruals.
In practice, we will increase recruitment and leadership development of African American and other minority physicians, nurses and supervisors, while building an inclusive environment for all staff, learners and patients.
We will leverage our platform and digital strategies to help improve health equity across the nation.
We will address conscious and unconscious racism throughout our organization.
We will invest to increase the diversity of our patient population, with a particular emphasis on patients from the Black community.
We will accelerate efforts to identify and create opportunities for all staff to get personally engaged in meaningful community service activities.
This is just the beginning. We know this is an initiative that will require a continued and steadfast effort from all of us.
As the Board of Governors, we will set the direction, provide necessary resources and be accountable for impactful, sustainable change. We look forward to receiving your best ideas to inform our action.
The change begins now. The change begins with us.
- Oct. 20, 2022
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