ACHE of Massachusetts embraces diversity within the healthcare management field and recognizes that priority as both an ethical and business imperative. ACHE of Massachusetts values diversity and initiatives that promote diversity because they can improve the quality of the organization’s workforce. ACHE of Massachusetts also values and actively promotes diversity in its leaders and members because diverse participation can serve as a catalyst for improved decision making, increased productivity, and a competitive advantage.
Nominations for the 2020 Diversity and
Inclusion Leader Award – Now Closed
We have closed nominations for our 2nd annual Diversity and Inclusion Award and the award will be given out during our Virtual Fall Conference this year. We applaud you for the work your organizations are doing in their commitment to creating a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions as to the nomination process. We look forward to nominations for next year’s award!
Further, ACHE of Massachusetts works to foster an inclusive environment that recognizes the contributions and supports the advancement of all, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability because an inclusive environment accurately represents the populations we serve, can enhance the quality of healthcare, improve hospital/community relations, and positively affect the health status of society. This priority is reflected in the chapters various activities and initiatives.
ACHE of Massachusetts is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion through the following activities:
Within the Chapter organization:
- The Chapter Nominating Committee is charged with assuring that the chapter board of directors is broadly representative of the chapter membership and with maintaining a diverse and inclusive chapter leadership.
Within the healthcare management field:
- Strive to conduct at least one chapter educational event per year involving the topic of diversity and inclusion
- Feature the topic of diversity and inclusion each year in Chapter communications, either a Chapter Newsletter or other e-mail communication
- Develop a relationship within minority healthcare associations locally.
- Develop and maintain a caucus organization within the chapter in collaboration with the Asian Healthcare Leaders Association and/or the National Forum of Latino Healthcare Executives.
The Diversity and Inclusion Committee will highlight healthcare organizations who are striving to make a difference impacting the community while embracing their commitment to Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.
Forbes Names America’s Best Employers For Diversity
14 Hospital/Health Systems in Top 100
Congratulations!
Tufts Health Plan #10
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts #17
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Scott Ariel – Co-Chair
Executive Director
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge on the Charles
Frantz Berthaud
Administrative Director, Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dee Dee Chen
Director of Professional Staff Compensation and Benefits
Massachusetts General Hospital
Rachel Gilbreath
Hill-Rom
Vice President
Enterprise Accounts
Soraya Kanakis
Graduate Student
Harvard University Extension School & MCPHS
Kerri-Lynne Kellam, MPH
Ambulatory Care Operations Director-Group Practice Manager
Department of Veteran Affairs
Carmen C. Kenrich – Chair
AMN Leadership Solutions
Merritt Hawkins
DVP, Strategic Partnerships
Client Experience Executive
Linda Leung
Karen Moore, RN, FACHE
Senior Vice President of Operations & Chief Nursing Officer
Lawrence General Hospital
Paul Myoung, MHA, CLSSBB, FACHE
Senior Administrative Director
Massachusetts General Hospital
Yemisi Oloruntola-Coates, MA, MAMC
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
Baystate Health
Barbara Schmidt
Director of Organizational Culture and Engagement
Southcoast Health
Alex Schwarzer, MBA, MPH
Division Manager
Children’s Hospital Boston
Deidre D. Smith, MHSA
Federal Revenue Policy Analyst
Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Basel Tarab, MD, MHA
Senior Manager for International Strategy Initiatives, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Adjunct Faculty, Boston College
Carla Villacorta, MHA
Consultant & Project Manager
Archipelago Strategies Group
LGBT Leaders
Daniel Abeyta, MHA
VA of Boston
Health System Specialist
Department of Medicine
Joseph Castellana, Ph.D.
2020 Cultural Holidays
November
November is National Native American Heritage Month, which celebrates the history and contributions of Native Americans.
November 1: All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday commemorating all known and unknown Christian saints. (In Eastern Christianity, the day is observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost.)
November 2: All Souls’ Day, a Christian holiday commemorating all faithful Christians who are now dead. In the Mexican tradition, the holiday is celebrated as Dia de los Muertos (October 31- November 2), which is a time of remembrance for dead ancestors and a celebration of the continuity of life..
November 11: Veterans Day, a U.S. federal holiday honoring military veterans. The date is also celebrated as Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day, in other parts of the world and commemorates the ending of World War I in 1918.
November 14: Diwali, the Hindu, Jain and Sikh five-day festival of lights celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and lightness over darkness.
November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance, established in 1998 to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia and to raise awareness of the continued violence endured by the transgender community.
November 22: Feast of Christ the King, a Catholic holiday established in thanking God for the gift of time and a rededication to the Christian faith.
November 25-January 6: Nativity Fast, a period of abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches in preparation for the Nativity of Jesus.
November 26: Thanksgiving in the United States. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.
November 27: Native American Heritage Day, held annually the Friday after Thanksgiving, encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe and honor Native Americans through appropriate ceremonies and activities. The day was signed into law by George W. Bush in 2008.
November 29- December 24: Advent, a Christian season of celebration leading up to the birth of Christ.
November 30: St. Andrew’s Day, the feast day for St. Andrew within various Christian denominations.
December
December 1: World AIDS Day, commemorating those who have died of AIDS, and to acknowledge the need for a continued commitment to all those affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
December 3: International Day of Disabled Persons, designed to raise awareness in regards to persons with disabilities in order to improve their lives and provide them with equal opportunity.
December 8: Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the solemn celebration, by various Christian denominations, of belief in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
December 10: International Human Rights Day, established by the United Nations in 1948 to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
December 10-18: Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday that is celebrated around the world for eight days and nights. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, or Israelites, over the Greek-Syrian ruler, Antiochus, approximately 2,200 years ago.
December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a religious holiday in Mexico commemorating the appearance of the Virgin Mary near Mexico City in 1531.
December 13: St. Lucia’s Day, a religious festival of light in Scandinavia and Italy commemorating the martyrdom of St. Lucia, a young Christian girl who was killed for her faith in 304 C.E. She secretly brought food to persecuted Christians in Rome while wearing a wreath of candles on her head so both her hands would be free.
December 16-24: Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration in Mexico commemorating the trials Mary and Joseph endured during their journey to Bethlehem.
December 21: Yule Winter Solstice, celebrated by Pagans and Wiccans. The shortest day of the year represents a celebration focusing on rebirth, renewal and new beginnings as the sun makes its way back to the Earth. A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the sun reaches its highest position in the sky.
December 25: Christmas Day, the day that many Christians associate with Jesus’ birth.
December 26: Boxing Day, a secular holiday celebrated in the U.K., Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and South Africa.
December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday started by Maulana Karenga in 1966 to celebrate universal African-American heritage.
December 26: Zartosht No-Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra), a day of remembrance in the Zoroastrian religion. It is a commemoration of the death anniversary of the prophet Zoroaster, or Zarathushtra.
December 26: St. Stephen’s Day, a day to commemorate St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, or protomartyr.
December 27: St. John’s Day, Apostle and Evangelist, feast day for St. John celebrated by Christian denominations.
December 27: Feast of the Holy Family, a liturgical celebration in the Catholic Church in honor of Jesus, his mother and his foster father, St. Joseph as a family. The primary purpose of this feast is to present the Holy Family as a model for Christian families.
December 28: Feast of the Holy Innocents, a Christian feast in remembrance of the massacre of young children in Bethlehem by King Herod the Great in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus.
December 31: Watch Night, a day for Christians to review the year that has passed, make confessions, and then prepare for the year ahead by praying and resolving