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
The ACHE of MA Diversity and Inclusion Committee is accepting nominations for the 2nd Annual Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award and hope you will consider nominating your organization. Nominations must be made by an ACHE of MA member. Please email the attached nomination form to info@massache.org by March 20, 2020.
The award will recognize an organization’s commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives and programs. Recipients of the award are evaluated based on the American Hospital Association and Institute for Diversity in Health Management #123Pledge principles demonstrating their dedication to improving the collection and use of race, ethnicity, GLBTQ, the wellbeing of all people and language preference data; supporting cultural competency training; increasing diversity in governance and leadership; and engaging and strengthening community partnerships.
The award will be presented at our Spring Conference on May 1, 2020.
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
ALPFA Healthcare Advisor
ALPFA Boston
villacorta.c@gmail.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
January
January 1: New Year’s Day, the first day of the year according to the modern Gregorian calendar, celebrated within most Western countries.
January 2: Bodhi Day, the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali.
January 2: Feast Day of St. Basil, a holiday observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church, commemorating the death of Saint. Basil the Great.
January 3: Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church, commemorates the naming of the child Jesus.
January 4: World Braille Day, observed in order to raise awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people. Celebrated on Louis Braille’s birthday, the inventor of braille.
January 5: Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s birthday, the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs who initiated the Sikhs as the Khalsa (the pure ones) and is known as the Father of the Khalsa.
January 5: Twelfth Night, a festival celebrated by some branches of Christianity that marks the coming of the Epiphany.
January 6: Epiphany or Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day), a holiday observed by Eastern and Western Christians that recognizes the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus 12 days after his birth.
January 6: Christmas, recognized on this day by Armenian Orthodox Christians, who celebrate the birth of Jesus on Epiphany.
January 7: Christmas, recognized on this day by Eastern Orthodox Christians, who celebrate Christmas 13 days later than other Christian churches because they follow the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian version of the Western calendar.
January 10-12: Mahayana New Year, a holiday celebrated by the Mahayana Buddhist branch, on the first full-moon day in January.
January 13: Maghi, an annual festival celebrated by the Sikhs commemorating the memory of 40 Sikh martyrs.
January 15: Makar Sankranti, a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India.
January 18-25: The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, during which Christians pray for unity between all churches of the Christian faith.
January 19: World Religion Day, observed by those of the Bahá’í faith to promote interfaith harmony and understanding.
January 20: Timkat, a holiday observed by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians who celebrate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River on Epiphany.
January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorates the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., the recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and an activist for nonviolent social change until his assassination in 1968.
January 25: Lunar New Year, one of the most sacred of all traditional Chinese holidays, a time of family reunion and celebration. The Lunar New Year is also celebrated at this time in Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Mongolia.
January 25-26: Losar, the Tibetan Buddhist New Year, a time of renewal through sacred and secular practices.
January 26: Republic Day of India recognizes the date the Constitution of India came into law in 1950, replacing the Government of India Act of 1935. This day also coincides with India’s 1930 declaration of independence.
January 27: The International Day of Commemoration to remember the victims of the Holocaust. The anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in 1945 and U.N. Holocaust Memorial Day.
January 27 (sundown to sundown): Holocaust Remembrance Day, a time to “mourn the loss of lives, celebrate those who saved them, honor those who survived, and contemplate the obligations of the living.” — Former President Barack Obama.
January 29: Vasant Panchami, the Hindu festival that highlights the coming of spring. On this day Hindus worship Saraswati Devi, the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, music, art, and culture.
February
February is Black History Month in the United States and Canada. Since 1976, the month has been designated to remember the contributions of people of the African diaspora.
February 1: National Freedom Day, which celebrates the signing of the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery in 1865.
February 1: Imbolc, a Gaelic traditional festival marking the beginning of spring.
February 1: St. Brigid of Kildare, feast day for St. Brigid celebrated by some Christian denominations.
February 2: Candlemas – A Christian holiday that celebrates three occasions according to Christian belief: the presentation of the child Jesus; Jesus’ first entry into the temple; and Virgin Mary’s purification.
February 3: St. Blaise Day (The Blessing of the Throats), the feast day of St. Blaise of Sebaste celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church and some Eastern Catholic churches.
February 3: Setsubun-Sai (Beginning of Spring), the day before the beginning of spring in Japan, celebrated yearly as part of the Spring Festival.
February 3: Four Chaplains Sunday commemorates the 55th anniversary of the sinking of the United States army transport Dorchester and the heroism of the four chaplains aboard.
February 8: Lantern Festival, the first significant feast after the Chinese New Year, named for watching Chinese lanterns illuminate the sky during the night of the event.
February 8-March 9: Magha Puja Day (also known as Maka Bucha), a Buddhist holiday that marks an event early in the Buddha’s teaching life when a group of 1,250 enlightened saints, ordained by the Buddha, gathered to pay their respect to him. It is celebrated on various dates in different countries.
February 9-10 (sundown to sundown): Tu B’shevat, a Jewish holiday recognizing “The New Year of the Trees.” It is celebrated on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. In Israel, the flowering of the almond tree usually coincides with this holiday, which is observed by planting trees and eating dried fruits and nuts.
February 14: St. Valentine’s Day, a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus. Typically associated with romantic love and celebrated by people expressing their love via gifts.
February 15: Parinirvana Day (or Nirvana Day), the commemoration of Buddha’s death at the age of 80, when he reached the zenith of Nirvana. February 8 is an alternative date of observance.
February 17: Presidents Day, a federally recognized celebration in the United States of George Washington’s birthday, as well as every president proceeding Washington.
February 21: Maha Shivarati, Hindu festival celebrated each year to honor Lord Shiva. It is celebrated just before the arrival of spring. It is also known as the Great Night of Shiva or Shivaratri and is one of the largest and most significant among the sacred festival nights of India.
February 23: Meatfare Sunday (The Sunday of the Last Judgment), traditionally the last day of eating meat before Easter for Orthodox Christians.
February 25-March 1: Intercalary Days or Ayyám-i-Há, celebrated by people of the Bahá’í faith. At this time, days are added to the Bahá’í calendar to maintain their solar calendar. Intercalary days are observed with gift giving, special acts of charity, and preparation for the fasting that precedes the New Year.
February 25: Mardi Gras, the last day for Catholics to indulge before Ash Wednesday starts the sober weeks of fasting that accompany Lent. The term “Mardi Gras” is particularly associated with the carnival celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana.
February 25: Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Though named for its former religious significance, it is chiefly marked by feasting and celebration, which traditionally preceded the observance of the Lenten fast. It is observed by various Christian denominations.
February 26: Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent on the Christian calendar. Its name is derived from the symbolic use of ashes to signify penitence. It takes place immediately after the excesses of the two days of Carnival that take place in Northern Europe and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.
February 29 (sunset) to March 19 (sunset): Nineteen-Day Fast, a time in the Bahá’í Faith to reinvigorate the soul and bring one closer to God. This fast takes place immediately before the beginning of the Bahá’í New Year.
March
March is Women’s History Month. Started in 1987, Women’s History Month recognizes all women for their valuable contributions to history and society.
March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which was established to increase awareness and understanding of issues affecting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. March is National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month. It was established to raise public awareness of the autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord and assist those with multiple sclerosis in making informed decisions about their health care.
March 1: St. David’s Day, the feast day of St. David, the patron saint of Wales.
March 1: Cheesefare Sunday or Forgiveness Sunday, the last Sunday prior to the commencement of Great Lent for Orthodox Christians.
March 2-April 18: Beginning of Great Lent in the Orthodox Christian faith. March 2, the day Great Lent begins this year, is also known as Clean Monday.
March 8: International Women’s Day. First observed in 1911 in Germany, it has now become a major global celebration honoring women’s economic, political and social achievements.
March 8: Orthodox Sunday, celebrated on the first Sunday of Great Lent. It is the celebration of the victory of the iconodules over the iconoclasts by the decision of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Therefore, the service is to commemorate the restoration of icons for use in services and private devotional life of Christians.
March 9-10: Holi, the annual Hindu and Sikh spring religious festival observed in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, along with other countries with large Hindu and Sikh populations. People celebrate Holi by throwing colored powder and water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before in the memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlada accomplished when demoness Holika carried him into the fire.It is often celebrated on the full moon (the Phalguna Purnima) before the beginning of the Vernal Equinox as based on the Hindu calendar.
March 9-10: Purim, a Jewish celebration that marks the time when the Jewish community living in Persia was saved from genocide. On Purim, Jewish people offer charity and share food with friends.
March 10-12: Hola Mohalla, a Sikh festival that takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chet, a day after the Hindu spring festival Holi.
March 13-April 15: Deaf History Month. This observance celebrates key events in deaf history, including the founding of Gallaudet University and the American School for the Deaf.
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday started in Ireland to recognize St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who brought Christianity to the country in the early days of the faith.
March 19: St. Joseph’s Day, in Western Christianity the principal feast of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. March 19-20: Naw-Rúz, the Bahá’í New Year is a holiday celebrated on the vernal equinox. It is one of the nine Bahá’í holy days on which work is suspended.
March 20: Ostara, a celebration of the spring equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans. It is observed as a time to mark the coming of spring and the fertility of the land.
March 20-21: Nowruz/Norooz, Persian New Year, a day of joy, celebration and renewal. It is held annually on the spring equinox.
March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed annually in the wake of the 1960 killing of 69 people at a demonstration against apartheid pass laws in Soth Africa. The United Nations proclaimed the day in 1966 and called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a United Nations international observation that offers the opportunity to honour and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. First observed in 2008, the international day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today.
March 25: Hindi New Year.
March 25: Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, a Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus.
March 28: Khordad Sal (Birth of prophet Zoroaster), birth anniversary (or birthdate) of Zoroaster, a spiritual leader and ethical philosopher who taught a spiritual philosophy of self-realization and realization of the divine. Zoroastrians celebrate this day with prayer and feasting.
March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility, celebrated to bring awareness to transgender people and their identities as well as recognize those who helped fight for rights for transgender people.