“This award exemplifies Southcoast Health’s dedication and commitment to embracing and delivering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all,” said David O. McCready, President and Chief Executive Officer for Southcoast Health. “I want to extend my sincere gratitude to our amazing team of providers, nurses and staff who continuously work to strengthen our respectful, accepting and collaborative culture, especially those serving on our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Council.”

The companies recognized for this achievement were based on a comprehensive survey of over 220,000 individuals including representation at over 1.5 million U.S.-based companies. The winning list spans over 78 industries, and Southcoast Health is one of only 66 companies in Massachusetts to earn this award.

“Our mission at Southcoast Health is to recognize, affirm and celebrate the rich diversity of our colleagues and our community,” said Melanie Cluley, Director of Organizational Culture and Engagement and Chair of the DE&I Council at Southcoast Health. “It is essential to our role as the leading provider of healthcare in the South Coast region to ensure that everyone we serve, including our patients, staff and community members, are treated with kindness and respect.”

Southcoast Health has an active Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council (DE&I), with Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Lauren De Simon Johnson, as the Executive Sponsor since 2019. The DE&I Council and five strong Employee Resource Groups focus on broadening inclusion and implementing initiatives to serve the entire community. Recently, the DE&I Council played an instrumental role in the guidance and implementation of Southcoast Health’s Health Equity efforts, including helping to lead the LGBTQIA+ Welcoming & Knowledgeable initiative. Their goal is to educate and promote a greater understanding of all members of the workforce and community members.

“With our collaborative approach, we are making great strides in meeting the needs of our patients while we work together to envision and create a more just future for our community,” said Katelyn Ferreira, Health Equity Program Manager at Southcoast Health. “I am honored to work alongside our community partners to strengthen our health equity initiatives. These programs help us to address social drivers of health by filling gaps in areas like transportation and food access.”

Southcoast Health formed the system-wide Health Equity Committee (HEC) in 2022. Co-chaired by Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Dani Hackner and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Southcoast Health Network Dr. Enitza George, the HEC includes leaders across the system including Southcoast Hospitals Group, Southcoast Physicians Group, and Southcoast Health Network as well as community members. This group works with the Hospital Quality and Equity Steering Committee, the Diversity Equity & Inclusion Council, Community Health and Wellness, the Patient Family Advisory Council, and many other stakeholders throughout the health system and beyond our walls.

“Diversity is a widely discussed topic – and it remains a crucial factor as people look for an employer or a business partner,” said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief at Newsweek. “Newsweek and market-data research firm Plant-A Insights are proud to introduce “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024,” highlighting companies that are committed to offering diverse and inclusive work environments.”

For the past five years, Southcoast Health has adopted a dedicated focus on inclusion and representation of our communities lived experiences throughout our workforce. This includes supporting our caregivers, veterans, and individuals with disabilities to ensure all voices are represented and heard. Since October 2020, Southcoast Health has almost doubled the number of its racially diverse leaders and has increased the amount of racially diverse new hires by more than five percent.

To learn more about careers at Southcoast Health and our diversity, equity and inclusion programming, please visit www.southcoast.org/careers/.

diversity equity inclusion