Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at PRH

Background  

Our hospital's formal EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) journey began with the launch of our EDI Committee in August, 2022. The committee, which meets quarterly, is comprised of staff who represent a diverse cross-section of employee groups and departments. We welcome new members who wish to be part of this journey whether that be staff, physicians or volunteers. 

The committee’s mandate is to advise and assist the Senior Leadership Team in the identification, development and implementation of measures and initiatives to ensure there are no groups excluded from the employee and patient experience at Pembroke Regional Hospital.

Specifically, areas where improvements can be made include policy, communication, celebration and education.  

EDI Committee Members  

Patricia Burke, Emergency Department

Ralph Hatem, Human Resources

Andrea Heuving, Human Resources  

Jody Kulas, Human Resources 

Jennifer Lemay, Acute Mental Health 

Carolyn Levesque, Public Affairs and Communications

Heather Macmillan, Surgical Services 

Brent McIntyre, Human Resources 

Holly Patterson, Mental Health Services  

Michael Peters, Social Work

Julia Reddy, Decision Support  

Why this is important to us 

As a health care provider, embedding EDI in all that we do will enable us to provide more personalized care, and better understand and address barriers and factors that impact health outcomes and experiences for patients and families. 

As an employer, becoming an organization that encourages and values diverse ideas and perspectives will help us attract and retain the best talent, become even more innovative, and get better at solving the complex problems our organization and sector face.

Becoming a safer, more equitable and inclusive organization involves every role, every team, every function, and every patient who comes to us for care.

At the formal start of our EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) journey, we wanted to create a video that introduces our committee and speaks to what EDI means to us and the direction in which the Pembroke Regional Hospital is headed in this respect. This video, the first in what we hope will be a series going forward, also invites others to join us on our journey and links to this EDI page on our website.   

Examples of some of the work being done 

• Finding ways for our patients to select how they wish to be addressed throughout their hospital experience.  

• Updating policies to include gender-neutral language.

• Hosting staff education sessions on topics such as the use of inclusive language, cultural sensitivity and community resources.

• Ensuring signage is inclusive. 

• Exploring ways to standardize non-gender-based greetings across the organization. 

• Expanding the recognition and celebration of all those who are part of our community by acknowledging special days, weeks or months on our digital screens and social media sites and providing educational resources where possible and appropriate.  

• Exploring ways to expand learning opportunities to include EDI as part of staff training and orientation. 

Join us in fostering a more inclusive healthcare community. Embrace diversity, promote equity, and advocate for inclusion at Pembroke Regional Hospital.

If you have feedback or ideas about EDI at PRH, or wish to share your own lived experience, you can reach out to inclusion@prh.email.