Diversity & Inclusion is an important strategic priority for our ministry. This is because we know excellence in this area allows us to better support our team members, care for our patients and better serve our communities.
So, when Catherine Woskobnick, community health director of our Lorain market, invited Matthew Grosse, one of our professional recruiters, to join our Leadership Councils for Diversity and Inclusion (LCDI)meetings a few months back, he was extremely honored and excited about the opportunity.
“The goals of our LCDI are to facilitate increasing awareness, education and community collaboration to address prominent community health needs specific to the greater Lorain area,” Matthew explains.
Some of these include chronic disease, health equity, substance abuse, cancer, mental health, maternal and child health, COVID-19 pandemic impacts and more. Another important focus is making education, awareness and accessibility inclusive among all groups in our communities.
As for our LCDI committee, the group is made up of team members who serve in various departments of our ministry and come from many different backgrounds as well as races and ethnicities. They all work together because they feel it is important to address the most prominent struggles and needs in the health of the communities we serve.
“Being able to learn from our members about what health concerns impact our community most significantly has been very informative and educational for me,” Matthew explains. “Likewise, it has been wonderful to hear about the various efforts and solutions our members have put forward to address said needs.”
Learning more about how we can help others is what drives Matthew’s passion and participation with LCDI. His inspiration for contributing to our ministry’s LCDI work is his team members’ commitment to an inclusive approach of addressing the health needs of everyone.
“As a newer member of our Lorain market, I didn’t know as much about the community at the start of my tenure with Mercy Health,” Matthew explains. “Being a part of LCDI has been an incredibly eye-opening and informative experience for me.”
Juneteenth was celebrated a few days ago and the holiday was an area of focus for our LCDI team members.
“I believe Juneteenth aligns directly with our ministry’s values of human dignity and compassion, making freedom and equality inclusive, especially for those of underserved and marginalized communities,” Matthew says.
As for personally, Juneteenth was a day of acknowledgement and education for Matthew.
“It is a privilege to both educate myself and do anything I can to contribute to our team’s efforts. I believe it is a great way to stay committed to our ministry’s mission, vision and values.”
Learn more about our mission and values as well as how they inspire the work we do at Mercy Health.
