Council Board of Directors Issues Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Call to Action
The Nashville Health Care Council’s Board of Directors includes leaders from some of the nation’s largest health care companies serving a global population. Harnessing the expertise and influence of those leaders, the Council board is working to educate, inspire and advocate for industry-wide change on some of health care’s most pressing issues and challenges.
“Our greatest opportunity lies in the combined strength of Council member organizations and our ability, together, to influence positive change across the industry,” said Robert A. (Bobby) Frist, Jr., Immediate Past Chairman of the Council Board and CEO, President and Chairman of HealthStream. “We want to address and drive progress on the issues that matter not just in the Nashville health care ecosystem but across the nation.”
The board maintains a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and recently adopted the following position statement as a call-to-action for the industry:
As leaders of the nation’s largest and most innovative health care companies, the Nashville Health Care Council’s Board of Directors understands that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are critical elements of future success. We are committed to creating accessible leadership opportunities for underrepresented groups that advance DEI in the companies we lead. Ultimately, our leadership should reflect the communities we serve.
The statement dovetails with the public commitment to DEI the Council and its board announced more than a year ago, highlighting their dedication to better supporting communities and people of color and vowing to be part of positive change. Since that time, the NHCC has formed DEI taskforces, created and began executing a long-term action plan, hosted diversity-focused events, launched gender and ethnicity data tracking initiatives, reviewed NHCC’s internal venue and vendor selection processes, and sought to partner with organizations supporting underserved groups.
“Embracing and encouraging diversity within our member companies is important, necessary work, and we must hold each other accountable and share best practices as we work toward our goals and strive to influence the broader industry,” said David Dill, NHCC Board Chairman and President and CEO of LifePoint Health. “These issues cannot be solved overnight, but we are optimistic our collective actions will manifest positive change around DEI.”
