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 POSTPONED
After serious discussion at our MA Chapter Board Meeting on March 8th, we have decided to postpone all ACHE of Massachusetts Chapter events through May as healthcare organizations manage the coronavirus. We plan to reschedule the May 1, 2020 conference in the Fall. If you have already registered for the conference, we will refund your registration fee on the card you used over the next week or so.
Also, we heard from some of you that our May 1 conference speakers did not reflect the Chapter’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Thank you for reaching out to us, and we agree. The panel of speakers should have been more representative of our Chapter’s membership and aligned with where we want to be as a Chapter and as an organization. We apologize for not having been more thoughtful about our full membership’s perspective in this area. Our Program Committee will be redoubling their efforts on a revamped roster of speakers for our Fall event and are committed to ensuring all of our future events are more inclusive.
Furthermore, while we have begun to receive nominations for our 2nd annual Diversity and Inclusion Award, we will postpone the process as the award will be given out at our Fall Conference on October 21st. 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.
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
Busayo Ajayi
Director, Workforce Development, Diversity and Inclusion
Boston Medical Center
busayo.ajayi@bmc.org
Scott Ariel – Co-Chair
Executive Director
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge on the Charles
scottariel@hsl.harvard.edu
Frantz Berthaud
Administrative Director, Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
frantz_berthaud@dfci.harvard.edu
Dee Dee Chen
Director of Professional Staff Compensation and Benefits
Massachusetts General Hospital
ddchen@partners.org
Soraya Kanakis
Graduate Student
Harvard University Extension School & MCPHS
hrxsjk@gmail.com
Kerri-Lynne Kellam, MPH
Ambulatory Care Operations Director-Group Practice Manager
Department of Veteran Affairs
kerri_lynnekellam@yahoo.com
Carmen Kenrich – Chair
Vice President Strategic Partnerships
AMN Leadership Solutions
Merritt Hawkins
carmen.kenrich@merritthawkins.com
Linda Leung
linda.s.leung@gmail.com
Karen Moore, RN, FACHE
Senior Vice President of Operations & Chief Nursing Officer
Lawrence General Hospital
Karen.Moore@lawrencegeneral.org
Paul Myoung, MHA, CLSSBB, FACHE
Senior Administrative Director
Massachusetts General Hospital
pmyoung@partners.org
Yemisi Oloruntola-Coates, MA, MAMC
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
Baystate Health
Yemisi.oloruntola-coates@baystatehealth.org
Alex Schwarzer, MBA, MPH
Division Manager
Children’s Hospital Boston
Alex.schwarzer@childrens.harvard.edu
Basel Tarab, MD
Patient Relations Specialist
Boston Children’s Hospital
tarab@bc.edu
Carla Villacorta, MHA
Consultant & Project Manager
Archipelago Strategies Group
Carla@discoverasg.com
LGBT Leaders
Joseph Castellana, Ph.D.
joecastellana700@gmail.com
Daniel Abeyta
Physician Access Analyst
Steward Health System
Abeyta83@gmail.com
List of 2020 Cultural Holidays
April
April is Celebrate Diversity Month, started in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all. By celebrating differences and similarities during this month, organizers hope that people will get a deeper understanding of each other. April is Autism Awareness Month, established to raise awareness about the developmental disorder that affects children’s normal development of social and communication skills.
April 2: World Autism Awareness Day, created to raise awareness of the developmental disorder around the globe.
April 2: Ram Navami, a Hindu day of worship and celebration of the seventh avatar of Vishnu (Lord Rama). Devotees typically wear red and place extravagant flowers on the shrine of the God.
April 3: Lailat al Miraj, a Muslim holiday that commemorates the prophet Muhammad’s nighttime journey from Mecca to the “Farthest Mosque” in Jerusalem, where he ascended to heaven, was purified, and given the instruction for Muslims to pray five times daily. Note that in the Muslim calendar, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Muslims will celebrate Lailat al Miraj on the sunset of Wednesday, April 3.
April 5: Palm Sunday, a Christian holiday commemorating the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It is the last Sunday of Lent and the beginning of the Holy Week.
April 6: Mahavir Jayanti, a holiday celebrated by the Jains commemorating the birth of Lord Mahavir.
April 7: Lord’s Evening Meal, Jehovah’s Witnesses commemorate an event believed to have occurred on the first night of Passover in approximately 33 CE, the Last Supper, known as the Lord’s Evening Meal.
April 8: Buddha Day (Vesak or Visakha Puja), a Buddhist festival that marks Gautama Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. It falls on the day of the full moon in May April and it is a gazetted holiday in India.
April 8-16: Passover, an eight-day Jewish holiday and festival in commemoration of the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.
April 8: Lailat al Bara’a, also known as Barat, or Night of Forgiveness, an Islamic holiday during which practitioners of the faith seek forgiveness for sins.
April 9: Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), the Christian holiday commemorating the Last Supper, at which Jesus and the Apostles were together for the last time before the Crucifixion. It is celebrated on the Thursday before Easter.
April 10: Good Friday, a day celebrated by Christians to commemorate the execution of Jesus by crucifixion. It is recognized on the Friday before Easter.
April 11: Lazarus Saturday, a day celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy to commemorate the raising of Lazarus of Bethany.
April 12: Easter, a holiday celebrated by Christians to recognize Jesus’ return from death after the Crucifixion.
April 13: Vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi), the celebration of the founding of the Sikh community as the Khalsa (community of the initiated) and the birth of the Khalsa.
April 17: The Day of Silence, during which students take a daylong vow of silence to protest the actual silencing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students and their straight allies due to bias and harassment.
April 19-May 1: The Festival of Ridvan, a holiday celebrated by those of the Bahá’í faith, commemorating the 12 days when Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet-founder, resided in a garden called Ridvan (paradise) and publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger for this age.
April 19: Orthodox Easter (also called Pascha), a later Easter date than observed by many Western churches.
April 21: Yom HaShoah, Israel’s day of remembrance for the approximately 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
April 22: Earth Day promotes world peace and sustainability of the planet. Events are held globally to show support of environmental protection of the Earth.
April 23: St. George’s Day, the feast day of St. George celebrated by various Christian churches.
April 23-May 23 (sundown to sundown): Ramadan, an Islamic holiday marked by fasting, praise, prayer and devotion to Islam.
April 24: Armenian Martyrs’ Day recognizes the genocide of approximately 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 in Turkey.
April 27-28: Ninth Day of Ridvan, a festival of joy and unity in the Bahá’í faith to commemorate the reunification of Bahá’u’lláh’s family, and by extension the unity of the entire human family the Bahá’í faith calls for. It permeates the symbolic meaning of the Ninth Day of Ridvan.
April 28-29 (sundown to sundown): Yom Ha’Atzmaut, national Independence Day in Israel
May
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks on the project were Chinese immigrants.
May is Older Americans Month, established in 1963 to honor the legacies and contributions of older Americans and to support them as they enter their next stage of life. May is Jewish American Heritage Month, which recognizes the diverse contributions of the Jewish people to American culture.
May 1: Beltane, an ancient Celtic festival celebrated on May Day, signifying the beginning of summer.
May 3: Saints Philip and James, a Roman Rite feast day for the anniversary of the dedication of the church to Saints Phillip and James in Rome.
May 5: Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). This day celebrates Mexican culture and heritage, including parades and mariachi music performances.
May 7: National Day of Prayer, a day of observance in the United States when people are asked to “turn to God in prayer and meditation.”
May 11-12 (sundown to sundown): Lag BaOmer, a Jewish holiday marking the day of hillula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, a global celebration of sexual-orientation and gender diversities.
May 19: Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of the year for Muslims, is traditionally celebrated on the 27th day of Ramadan. It is known as the Night of Power and commemorates the night that the Quran was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad.
May 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, a day set aside by the United Nations as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn to live together in harmony.
May 21: Ascension of Jesus, celebrated as the ascension of Christ from Earth in the presence of God within most of the Christian faith.
May 22-23 (sundown to sundown): Declaration of the Báb, the day of declaration of the Báb, the forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í faith.
May 23-24 (sundown to sundown): Eid al-Fitr, the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, marking the end of Ramadan. Many Muslims attend communal prayers, listen to a khutuba (sermon), and give Zakat al-Fitr (charity in the form of food) during Eid al-Fitr.
May 25: Memorial Day in the United States, a federal holiday established to honor military veterans who died in wars fought by American forces.
May 28: Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, commemorates the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í faith.
May 28-30 (sundown to sundown): Shavuot, a Jewish holiday that has double significance. It marks the all-important wheat harvest in Israel and commemorates the anniversary of the day when God gave the Torah to the nation of Israel assembled at Mount Sinai.
May 31: Pentecost, the celebration of the giving of the Ten Commandments by God at Mount Sinai.