D&I COVID-19 Recording: Atrium Health's Fernando Little and Food Lion's Millette Granville 6-30-20

In response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and its unprecedented impact to business and employers, i4cp holds a weekly series of standing calls to help Diversity & Inclusion leaders navigate this unpredictable time.  

Notes, chat, resources and follow up email from COVID Inclusion Action call June 30, 2020

Fernando: Hopelessness is an enemy of justice.

COVID-19:

•  Eliminated testing disparities in minority communities using GPS driven, heat-map technology to identify the areas with the highest concentration of positive COVID-19; worked with community stakeholders to bring a mobile testing site to the communities that needed support the most... This roving test site has been going for weeks and has tested approximately 10,000 people in the great Charlotte community....
•  Also provided wrap around services at the roving test sites to address other social determinants of health - access to primary care, food insecurities (Kids Eat Free Program, Food Pharmacies), transportation
•  Sponsored a comprehensive multicultural marketing strategy with numerous media outlets, leveraged our language services division to translate important preventative measures, participated and hosted numerous virtual community town halls to spread the work
•  Renewed commitment to trusted community partnership

RACIAL JUSTICE

•  Authentic and quick response from senior leaders - CEO, CDO, Market Presidents, etc.
•  Quickly assembled teammate resources and tools - e.g. racial justice toolkit, diversity education resources, courageous conversation guidelines
•  Mobilized our diversity infrastructure and system resource groups to provide communities of support to teammates
•  Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosted system-wide virtual courageous conversation events
•  First Call - attendance was 1,773 teammates
•  Second Call - scheduled for June 25th - 1,500 teammates already signed up
•  Supported the White Coats for Black Lives virtual moment of solidarity
•  Provided leader education to support leaders in being visible and facilitating courageous conversations
•  Working with senior leadership on advancing this work through accountability plans and intentional planning to reinforce the system mission - HEALTH, HOPE, HEALING FOR ALL!

FL – social unrest. Respond urgently and authentically so our folks can understand how they are connected and what we are going to do as an organization.

My heart went out to the AA men in the hospital and I was compelled to send an open letter to them expressing my empathy and support. I wanted them to have that letter so they knew they are support and that we want to channel the energy. Then our CEO who is a multiracial man of color also got an authentilc message out to our AA associates helping provide a platform our courageous conversations.

1700 teammates on the first and 1200 on the second courageous convo.

Toolkits, fish bowl conversations, intranet site to post questions

Racial injustice toolkit:

https://twitter.com/AtriumHealth/status/1277195069204955138?s=20 - Fernando’s tweet

https://teammates.atriumhealth.org/diversity-and-inclusion/racial-justice-toolkit 

MG – chose the quote because we need to hear you, we need everyone to be open and listen but not silent.

MG – merged with Ahold (I-hold) Delhaize with global HQ in Amsterdam. In the US, based in Salisbury, NC.

Food Lion feeds Committed to feed our communities. – 7 NC agencies $229k in funding $515k distributed to 208 local agencies. $20 gift cards to children in the hardest hit areas.  

Policy adjustments as a result of the social unrest:

MG – has spent time with developing their employees about how to manage a counterfeit bill which was the basis for George Floyd’s arrest.

FL – we did look at how we manage our social media policy. Ensuring that any social media is aligned with Atrium and make sure it’s appropriate racial justice.

What are you doing based for leadership development as a result of the social unrest:

MG – Courageous conversations…bringing in NAACP and Urban League with our BRG discussion. Did a session on mental health and well-being. Upcoming on how to navigate protests. Also doing small group listening sessions to spawn regular interviews so folks can stay connected to what’s important around this work along with resource pages (podcasts, books, other recommended resources).

Onboarding is a critical area of development

In addition to this recording, please see these resources: