Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Be a JEDI – The Wright Center

The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient and Community Engagement intentionally embrace and seek an inclusive diversity of stakeholders in pursuit of our mission to improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.

Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDIB) inspire and unify us as noble and vital principles of our enterprise identity and the delivery of our mission. We recognize the compromise and, too often, the absence of these ideal principles cause experiential and vicarious trauma within the health care delivery and medical education industries, our organizations, our communities, and our world.

We are deeply committed to becoming and thriving as a trauma-competent enterprise so that we may generate and support continuous internal organizational and external community progress in these realms to positively impact our care delivery and educational systems, environments, and public health.

Striving to empower individuals, families, and communities to own and optimize their health, we continue to focus on expanding access to affordable, high-quality, nondiscriminatory, whole-person primary health services and ensuring address of trauma exposure and complex socioeconomic determinants of health and barriers to health equity.

We deeply value and commit to energizing an atmosphere that creates a sense of belonging, allowing and empowering individuals to reach their fullest potential and nurture their authentic selves, honoring their life journeys and stories, and celebrating their unique and meaningful contributions.

October 2024

Exploring the link between art and health for National Arts and Humanities Month

You are an artist. Yes, you!

Eliminating stigma, finding resources as we observe Recovery Awareness and Suicide Prevention Month

September is both Recovery Awareness and Suicide Prevention Month. Just about everyone has been impacted by one or both of these topics.

August 2024

The movement-wellness connection

“Movement” is an all-encompassing term that includes both fitness and general physical activity we participate in every day.

Defining the ‘E’ in JEDIB

Let’s unpack the E in JEDIB: Equity.

Learning why words matter

Our words have an impact. How we address one another can either connect us or pull us apart.

Shining a light on mental health in May

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. But what is mental health really?

Exploring how wellness fits into ESG concepts

How does ESG relate to wellness? Read on for a breakdown of the key points and their significance.

Using an intersectional lens to fight health care inequities, discrimination

Intersectionality is a popular buzzword these days. But how many people really know what the word means and why it’s important, especially to combat health care inequities?

Learning about Employee Assistance Programs

Employee assistance programs improve wellness in and outside work.

January 2024

Reflecting on New Year’s resolutions past, present, and future

What comes to mind when you think of self-care? Spa days? While that can certainly be self-care, there is a common misconception about self-care.

December 2023

Facing ourselves and growing within

The deeper self awareness one has, the deeper we can meet others. Remember cultural humility is a lifelong process.

Indigenous Heritage

Let us celebrate and lift this culture. Let us recognize the many communities spread out across the world and the beautiful contributions attributed to our society.

Finding the ability in disability

As health care professionals, regardless of whether we’re focusing on medical or social needs, we must shift our thinking about how to be effective disability advocates.

Suicide prevention

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, so why aren’t we discussing it more? Stigma can have a dramatic impact on starting the conversation.

Link between wellness and DEI

Each dimension of wellness is interconnected and can contribute to a healthier lifestyle. For instance, if we can become more in tune with our emotions and embrace all feelings, this can deepen our spirituality, as well as influence our social health.

Religious Diversity

For each of us, the way in which we find meaning can look different, and it often is influenced by our unique backgrounds, cultures, and the traditions of our families and communities.

An inclusive mindset creates a sense of community

We all deserve to be heard and to be seen. When this happens, our light is illuminated. Social belonging is a fundamental need. Our mental well-being is impacted in an immensely positive way if we feel a sense of community and connection through ourselves and others. When we experience belonging and inclusion, we are able to be our true and authentic selves.

Let’s End the Stigma

According to National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 U.S. adults will experience mental illness at some point in their life. Even if you do not fall into this statistic, each and everyone of us will experience challenges that impact our mental health.

What are unconscious biases?

Unconscious biases. They are everywhere, and we all have them. These biases are social stereotypes or prejudices about certain races, ethnic groups, gender identities, sexual orientations, physical abilities, and more that individuals form outside of their own conscious awareness.

We must all join the fight for gender equality and equity

For decades, gender equality referred to equal rights for women as compared to men: Equal pay for equal work, the opportunity to shatter the glass ceiling in corporate America, and reach the highest levels of success in any profession.

One Man’s Perspective on Blackness in America during Black History Month

February is Black History Month. Do you ever wonder why February has been designated to honor the accomplishments of Black Americans and their contributions to our society?

Generational Diversity: An Exciting Time in the Workplace of Intersectionality

Si jeunesse savait, si viellesse pouvait” is a French proverb my mother often said to me when I was a child. French humanist Henri II Estienne is credited with this quote. It speaks to the idea that youth often lack experience and the elders lack the strength.

Understanding the lifelong process known as cultural humility

Without thinking about it, we experience and participate in different cultures every day.

Understanding the essence of intersectionality

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” These words, spoken by Audre Lorde, a noted prose writer, poet and civil rights activist, capture the essence of what is known as intersectionality.

Understanding microaggression through education

At one point or another in our lives, each of us has been in a position where we felt we weren’t welcome.

Our country is a melting pot of influential cultures

How many times have you heard a rhythm that made you want to dance even though you may not know the song?

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 101

As we embark on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) journey together, it is important to speak the same language.

Disability Pride Month

As the vice president of Sponsoring Institution Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).