Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Luminis Health strives to be a just organization and a national model for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

What Is the HEART Force?

We built Luminis Health's HEART Force as a diverse group of trustees, managers, medical staff, community stakeholders and public health partners. Together, the HEART Force is developing a plan to build a more equitable and just health system.

The HEART Force's goal is to help Luminis Health address systemic inequities in health care. We do this by evaluating our processes, policies and practices. Our objective is to eliminate inequities from health care operations.

The HEART Force will continue to guide Luminis Health

The recommendations of the HEART Force help us recognize injustices. The recommendations also help us address these inequities directly, intentionally and relentlessly through the staff's daily work.

We're incorporating these recommendations into Luminis Health's Vision 2030. This ensures we integrate JEDI into what we do each and every day.

Vision 2030

A community of hands coming together to support each other.

How will the HEART Force help Luminis Health become an inclusive organization?

The HEART Force's recommendations fall into three major categories:

1. Lead as an inclusive organization, confront and eradicate inequities in health care. Recommendations include:

Confronting inequities and embodying principles of an inclusive organization in policy, culture and performance.
Eliminating health disparities and improving health outcomes of diverse communities.

2. Enhance culturally informed communications and community collaboration. Recommendations include:

Becoming a trusted partner in diverse communities through a formalized community network.
Becoming a JEDI thought leader in Maryland and in health care nationally by hiring and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects the community we serve.
Establishing culturally customized care as the formal standard of quality.
Sharing our JEDI journey with diverse populations by incorporating it into the Luminis Health brand.

3. Measure and integrate accountability. Recommendations include:

Extending current JEDI reporting and programs effectively across the health system.
Establishing minority business enterprise/supplier diversity goals and partnering with local minority businesses, vendors and suppliers.
Developing a sustainable accountability model.
Integrating a specific JEDI focus into the board governance structure.

Luminis Health is making strides to end inequities

The HEART Force began its work in 2020, and Luminis Health is already being recognized for its efforts to end inequities in health care:

National Diversity Council

The National Diversity Council honored our efforts to create a diverse workforce and inclusive environment that values all individuals for their talents.

Top 50 Employee Resource Group Awards

Luminis Health received two Top 50 Employee Resource Group Awards in recognition of its African American Business Resource Group (BRG) and LGBTQIA BRG.

American Organization for Nursing Leadership Prism Award

Luminis Health received the 2020 American Organization for Nursing Leadership Prism Award for advancing diversity efforts within the nursing profession, community and organization.

Healthcare Equality Index

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) recognized Luminis Health as a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality" by earning a perfect score of 100 on HRC's Healthcare Equality Index.

Coming to the Table

Luminis Health was the first health care organization in the nation to host a local chapter of Coming to the Table, an employee circle group. It's designed to promote open, candid conversations about race, cultural differences and ways to understand and mitigate unconscious bias.

American Hospital Association's Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award

Luminis Health received the 2019 American Hospital Association's Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award for our efforts to advance equity of care to all patients. The award is one of the highest honors in health equity.

Supplier Diversity Program

We will provide opportunities to businesses within our state and the communities we serve, and we will partner with suppliers who invest in robust JEDI policies.