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 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. 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
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
Barbara Schmidt
Director of Organizational Culture and Engagement
Southcoast Health
schmidtb@southcoast.org
Alex Schwarzer, MBA, MPH
Division Manager
Children’s Hospital Boston
Alex.schwarzer@childrens.harvard.edu
Deidre D. Smith, MHSA
President
NAHSE Greater Boston
smithd59@xavier.edu
Basel Tarab, MD, MHA
Senior Manager for International Strategy Initiatives, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Adjunct Faculty, Boston College
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
2020 Cultural Holidays
August
August 1: Lammas, a festival to mark the annual wheat harvest within some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere.
August 1: Lughnasadh, a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season.
August 3: Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu holiday commemorating the loving kinship between a brother and sister. “Raksha” means “protection” in Hindi and symbolizes the longing a sister has to be protected by her brother. During the celebration, a sister ties a string around her brother’s (or brother-figure’s) wrist and asks him to protect her. The brother usually gives the sister a gift and agrees to protect her for life.
August 6: Transfiguration of the Lord (Feast of the Transfiguration), celebrated by various Christian denominations, the feast day is dedicated to the transfiguration of Jesus.
August 10: Krishna Janmashtami, a Hindu celebration of Lord Vishnu’s most powerful human incarnations, Krishna, the god of love and compassion. Celebrations include praying and fasting.
August 13- 15: Obon (Ulambana), a Buddhist festival and Japanese custom for honoring the spirits of ancestors.
August 14: Fast in Honor of Holy Mother of Jesus, beginning of the 14-day period of preparation for Orthodox Christians leading up to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.
August 15: Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the beliefs of the Catholic Church, Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, as well as parts of Anglicanism, the day commemorates the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven at the end of her earthly life.
August 15: Dormition of the Theotokos, a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches that commemorates the “falling asleep,” or death, of Mary the Theotokos (“Mother of God”) and her bodily resurrection before ascending into heaven.
August 16-August 23: Paryushana Parva, a Jain festival lasting about eight to ten days that is observed through meditation and fasting. Its main focus is spiritual upliftment, pursuit of salvation and a deeper understanding of the religion.
August 17: Marcus Garvey Day, which celebrates the birthday of the Jamaican politician and activist who is revered by Rastafarians. Garvey is credited with starting the Back to Africa movement, which encouraged those of African descent to return to the land of their ancestors during and after slavery in North America.
August 19: Hijri New Year, the day that marks the beginning of the new Islamic calendar year.
August 21: Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu holiday lasting around 10 days, where the elephant-headed Hindu God is praised and given offerings.
August 23: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition and the anniversary of the uprising in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) that initiated the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean.
August 26: Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the August 26, 1920, certification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that gave women the right to vote. Congresswoman Bella Abzug first introduced a proclamation for Women’s Equality Day in 1971. Since that time, every president has published a proclamation recognizing August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.
August 28-29: Ashura, an Islamic holiday commemorating the day Noah left the ark and the day Allah saved Moses from the Egyptians.
September
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15. This month corresponds with Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16, and recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended Spanish dictatorship.
September 2: Hungry Ghost Festival, a Chinese holiday where street, market, and temple ceremonies take place to honor dead ancestors and appease other spirits.
September 7: Labor Day in the United States. Labor Day honors the contribution that laborers have made to the country and is observed on the first Monday of September.
Sept 11: Beheading of St. John the Baptist, a holy day observed by various Christian churches that follow liturgical traditions. The day commemorates the martyrdom by the beheading of St. John the Baptist on the orders of Herod Antipas through the vengeful request of his stepdaughter, Salome, and her mother.
September 11: Ethiopian New Year. Rastafarians celebrate the New Year on this date and believe that Ethiopia is their spiritual home.
September 19-September 20 (sundown to sundown): Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration, marking the creation of the world.
September 22: Ostara Mabon, a celebration of the vernal equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans.
September 25: Native American Day, a federal holiday observed annually on the fourth Friday in September in the state of California and on the second Monday in October in South Dakota, United States.
September 27: Elevation of the Life Giving Cross (Holy Cross), a day that commemorates the cross used in the Crucifixion of Jesus in some Christian denominations.
September 27-28 (sundown to sundown): Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, a day of atonement marked by fasting and ceremonial repentance.
September 28: Meskel, religious holiday in the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox churches that commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by the Roman Empress, Helena, in the fourth century.
September 28: Teacher’s Day in Taiwan. This day is used to honor teachers’ contributions to their students and to society in general. People often express their gratitude to their teachers by paying them a visit or sending them a card. This date was chosen to commemorate the birth of Confucius, the model master educator in ancient China.
September 29: Michaelmas, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, is a minor Christian festival dedicated to Archangel Michael that is observed in some Western liturgical calendars.