Celebrating with the LGBTQ+ Community

Access to equitable and inclusive healthcare is vital. At GBMC HealthCare, we strive to provide an equal and exceptional level of care to ALL those we serve, per our vision. The same is true for our workforce – we aim to foster a work environment that is inclusive and values EVERYONE on our team. One way we nurture an environment of inclusion is through our employee resource groups (ERGs), which build community and allow individuals within our workforce to come together based on common interests and backgrounds. Today, I’d like to focus on work that’s being led by our Greater Pride team, which happens to be our longest-standing ERG.  

In addition to meeting monthly to discuss ways to improve the GBMC experience for LGBTQ+ individuals within our workforce and patient populations, the Greater Pride ERG takes the lead in forming a team for the Baltimore Pride Parade each year. This year, the group organized a wonderful team for the parade, which was held on June 24, and also participated in Pride in the Park held at Druid Hill Park the following day. 

Not only did the group come together to celebrate with the LGBTQ+ community, but they also took the time to share resources, explain how safe and inclusive care is embedded in all our services, and, most importantly, listen to people’s stories to learn how we might serve them better in the future. As an organization dedicated to continuous improvement, we value this type of feedback and even participate in the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the national LGBTQ+ benchmarking tool that evaluates healthcare facilities’ policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees.

I’m proud of the work that our Greater Pride ERG is leading throughout the year. Their guidance and engagement truly makes an impact on the experience of patients, their loved ones, and our own GBMC HealthCare work family. The Greater Pride ERG works in tandem with our overarching Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team, council, and committees, led by Chief Diversity and Learning Officer Lisa Walker. I’d like to thank all of these individuals for ensuring we continuously learn and make improvements to provide EVERYONE with the care we’d want for our own loved ones.