Leading Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion At A Global Renal Care Provider

Here’s what I’ve learned about celebrating employees’ differences

While there has been much discussion over the last few years about the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in how companies operate, there is still a tangible – and critical – demand for evidence of its effectiveness. In my industry – healthcare – we know and have seen in practice that when we champion DE&I internally our patients benefit. Due to the systemic imbalances in equity rampant throughout the U.S. healthcare system, DE&I must be part of our every action.
 

No one is more acutely aware of those imbalances than healthcare professionals in the renal (kidney) care space, where minority and marginalized groups are, unfortunately, over-represented in our patient groups. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 2021 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) report, people of color – especially women of color- are more at risk from CKD and its associated ailments. Given the gravity of the topic, it’s critical that we approach equity with our patients in the same way we do with our employees.

That means asking who is sitting at the table when we develop policies for our employees and patients. Are we ensuring our patients are being heard? As well as countless other, often difficult, questions. Our struggle to continue integrating DE&I into our industry can be a guide of sorts for other industries and disciplines. Based on my experience heading up DE&I at FMCNA, I believe there are three actions that are imperative for organizational leaders to implement.  

1. Refresh your company’s leadership principles based on the world we live in today (and its often-unexpected realities)
The next evolution of corporate leadership must put DE&I at the forefront – prioritizing the needs of their employees of all backgrounds and helping them to develop and perform to the best of their abilities. This can’t just be talk; it must become part of the company’s – and its leaders’ – core values to ensure every employee has a seat at the table, and that they feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work, every day. At my organization, we talk about an inclusion dial that helps us measure when employees feel safe and welcomed despite their differences – and celebrated and cherished because of their uniqueness.

Every organization will have its own needs and practices, which employees that make up the fabric of the organization, should drive. Our companies and our policies must evolve to continuously improve and better reflect the world we live in and the people we serve. 

2. Recognize and acknowledge unconscious bias and prepare to battle it
It is undeniable that we all carry our own biases – known and unconscious. In the healthcare field, institutional and implicit biases can dangerously bleed into larger issues, such as medical racism and widening gaps in health equity. In our workplace, equitable care for our patients is a major focus. We’ve also seen that our employee DE&I initiatives can positively affect our patients. Belonging is a way of being, and once ingrained into a workplace’s culture, all stakeholders benefit. 

So, while hosting internal workshops for leaders and their teams is one step in the right direction, it’s important to remember this is ultimately a journey with many steps. Proactivity and reflection are key to combatting bias. And importantly, change takes commitment and time.

3. Trust data and leverage it to refine your DE&I strategy and objectives
As healthcare practitioners, we analyze data constantly as we determine treatment plans to help patients and their families make the best decisions. Leaders should do the same to identify the strategies that work well for their workforce and eliminate anything that doesn’t. 
 
And those strategies may help uncover strengths that provide further opportunities. For example, at FMCNA, we regularly leverage employee engagement surveys and, from one, found that 71% of our employees reported feeling a sense of belonging at work. While that’s a substantial number, I felt we still had work to do. Digging into the surveys, I saw that our employee resource groups (ERGs) play a large role in achieving belonging. These groups refer to employees who meet based on shared common interests and over the past year we have established ten new ERGs with an increased focus on ethnic diversity to help foster a feeling of belonging.  

These actions reinforce what I believe is a core DE&I strategy: if you lead with inclusion and belonging, the focus on diversity and equity will soon follow. Employees will have the tools and sense of belonging to encourage a positive working environment, which in turn, can spread to other business partners, customers, and clients. 

Mignon Early is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) at Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) – the nation’s leading dialysis and renal care provider. In this role, Early is the head of the department and is focused on supporting the advancement of FMCNA’s key DE&I objectives in alignment with the company’s global Inclusion and Diversity work so that all its employees feel safe, welcome, cherished, and celebrated. Mignon is supported by FMCNA’s DE&I Council, a diverse group of employees who provides regular input on our continued efforts to build a more trusting and inclusive culture. Mignon also leads the DE&I Executive Committee, comprised of FMCNA employees from various teams and backgrounds who help lead and execute projects supporting its corporate goals. Connect Mignon Early