The Beginning - The Ignored Proposal

The proposal that was presented to Orlando Health leadership as early as February, 2009 is posted below. There is a page missing - the endorsement page. The endorsement page was removed because the petition is now the main hub of support for this effort.

This proposal promotes a team member led diversity council. The goal of the diversity council is to provide voice to team members to discuss and make organizational recommendations in regard to diversity/multiculturalism. As the petition states, Orlando Health needs to do more than what is outlined in this proposal, but this was the starting document for this movement.

Orlando Health Diversity Council Proposal

Clarity of Values in a Changing Environment

February 5, 2009

Dear Orlando Health Leadership,

We are presenting the following proposal for the approval to officially start a team member led Diversity Council at Orlando Health. This would be the first of its kind for our organization and would open the doors to a more inclusive, proactive approach to our mission. Orlando Health is a world class organization that has the opportunity to become a leader in this area, strengthening its patient, physician and team member relations and becoming more of a destination of choice for all who are part of our business model.

The formation of this Diversity Council has strong support within the community, internal leadership and among team members. Many individuals and organizations are excited and hopeful Orlando Health will embrace this group and open greater doors of opportunity in all areas.

We understand there may be a short window of time needed to review and approve the formation of the Diversity Council at Orlando Health and that official sign off will come through internal Human Resources policy. Representatives of the Diversity Council planning group would like to be part of that policy creation to ensure the mission and vision of the Diversity Council – which supports that of Orlando Health – is met.

Thank you for reviewing this proposal and submitting it to the proper channels for review and approval. We respectfully request formal action items to keep the process moving forward.

Sincerely,

Orlando Health Diversity Council planning group

Mission Statement

The mission statement of Orlando Health is “to improve the health and quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve.” Minority groups will comprise roughly 50% of the US population by 2050 and a commitment to diversity must be reflected in all aspects of our organization to meet the needs of our changing community. (http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/popul

ation/012496.html)

Orlando Health Diversity Council’s mission – To foster an inclusive workplace where diversity is transparent, and where consideration of the diversity of team members and patients improves quality of care, patient satisfaction and corporate reputation.

Specific goals of the Diversity Council include improving patient and team member policies (through review, research and recommendations to Human Resources), supporting Orlando Health through diversity-related philanthropic projects and improving communication regarding diversity in our community.

Diversity Council Areas of Focus

Healthcare outcomes

Patient satisfaction

Team member recruiting and retention

The Diversity Council will work as a resource and center point for Orlando Health groups who are already working on these issues (Language Services, Human Resources, Creative Services, Information Services, Nursing Informatics, Recruiting, etc.)

The council will look at all existing areas to fulfill its mission. The council will also help coordinate future diverse groups that may emerge. By working together with the council the diversity-related efforts of Orlando Health will be more coordinated, integrated and efficient.

Corporate reputation

In an increasingly consumer-driven marketplace, a corporate reputation for respecting diversity directly affects which healthcare provider patients choose as well as influencing marketing, philanthropy, community relations and recruitment initiatives.

Team member satisfaction and union avoidance

A team member led council illustrates that all team members are respected and have clear ways to communicate their concerns and ideas in the workplace. Respect and communication are vital elements of team member satisfaction.

Successful Corporate Diversity Programs

Orlando Health has a tradition of leadership in healthcare in Central Florida and the formation of the Diversity Council matches that tradition. However, there are established diversity programs within well-respected companies, including our partners through vendor relations and philanthropy: Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Clear Channel Communications, Corporate Express, Darden Restaurants, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Oracle, Owens & Minor, SODEXHO, SunTrust, Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World name just a few such companies. Establishing a team member driven diversity program clearly states to our partners and the community that diversity is a fully-integrated value at Orlando Health.

DiversityInc magazine’s Top 50 List (http://www.diversityinc.com/public/3272.cfm) is derived exclusively from corporate survey submissions. To make the list, a company must score above average in CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications and Supplier Diversity. What sets the companies below named in the most recent list apart from other companies is that their clarity on diversity values and adherence to those core beliefs globally is integral to their business success.

1. Verizon Communications

2. The Coca-Cola Co.

3. Bank of America

4. PricewaterhouseCoopers

5. Procter & Gamble

6. Cox Communications

7. Merrill Lynch & Co.

8. Johnson & Johnson

9. IBM

10. American Express

11. Marriott International

12. Sodexo

13. JPMorgan Chase

14. Wachovia

15. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida

16. Deloitte LLP

17. Ernst & Young

18. HSBC Bank USA, NA

19. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

20. Cummins

21. Merck & Co.

22. AT&T

23. Turner Broadcasting System

24. Prudential

25. Monsanto Co.

26. Wells Fargo & Co.

27. Ford Motor Co.

28. PepsiCo

29. Pepsi Bottling Group

30. Xerox Corp.

31. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

32. General Mills

33. KeyBank

34. Health Care Service Corp.

35. Sprint

36. The Walt Disney Co.

37. Abbott

38. Accenture

39. Macy's

40. Henry Ford Health System

41. Bright Horizons Family Solutions

42. WellPoint

43. Kaiser Permanente

44. General Motors

45. Citigroup

46. Capital One Financial Corp.

47. CSX

48. Toyota Motor North America

49. KPMG

50. Hilton Hotels Corp.

Leading by Example

“Merrill Lynch is a global company that spans a broad array of clients, asset classes and business lines. Roughly half of Global Markets & Investment Banking revenues are non U.S.-based; we’re expecting that to be closer to 75 percent within 5 to 10 years. As a firm, we are in the intellectual capital business, and people are what differentiate us from the competition and give us the edge. To continue to win in this business, we need the creative eclectic approaches that different people bring - those innovative ideas that will help us shape the future of our industry and our role in it. Diversity is critically important from a business standpoint. The smartest solutions come from highly motivated groups of talented diverse employees. We work extremely hard to recognize and enable all of our employees to succeed. Every culture is different; we wouldn’t bring a U.S. model to Turkey. But the underlying philosophy is the same: A diverse, eclectic workforce is critical to retaining a high level of intellectual capital.”

Greg Fleming

President & COO

Merrill Lynch

Above quote from Transcending Boundaries in 2008 - Diversity & Inclusion at Merrill Lynch

Orlando Health Diversity Council Structure

The Orlando Health Diversity Council will hold monthly meetings lasting an hour. The meeting time will best accommodate both clinical and corporate team member schedules and will be held at a central location. To become fully inclusive, focus in early meetings will be placed on using technology to allow those who are interested but unable to attend – due to travel time and distance – the opportunity to be part of the meetings. Other ideas to make sure the Diversity Council is as available as possible to team members will be considered.

A formal board structure will be in place for the Diversity Council. Each calendar year a new board of directors will be voted into existence. The board structure will help ensure proper ethics are maintained and maximize the time in and out of meetings to further the mission of the council and Orlando Health. The board structure will also allow new leaders to be introduced to the council growing the body of ideas and impact of the group.