WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Sept. 21, 2021 – Novant Health has been named a 2021 recipient of six Diversity Impact Awards by the Association of ERGs & Councils. The Diversity Impact Awards honor employee resource groups (ERG), diversity councils and other individuals who lead and support diversity and inclusion efforts within their organizations.
“It’s an honor for Novant Health to be recognized by the Association of ERGs & Councils for our continued efforts to improve diversity, inclusion and equity in our organization,” said Tanya S. Blackmon, executive vice president and chief diversity, inclusion and equity officer at Novant Health. “We are committed to initiatives that make a difference in the lives of our team members and the communities we proudly serve.”
Award recipients are chosen based on the association’s impact model, which evaluates how recipients and their work positively impact individuals, organizations and external stakeholders in three key areas: talent management, culture and organization vitality.
This is the third year in a row that a Novant Health Business Resource Group (BRG) has received this award. Out of the 13 BRGs at Novant Health, four were honored with the Top 25 ERG Award.
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Women’s BRG: ranked No. 1 and recognized for identifying an opportunity to provide career and leadership development training to front-line team members.
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Persons with abilities BRG: recognized for identifying a solution very early in the COVID-19 pandemic to offer reusable, clear masks to resolve communication challenges for those individuals who are hard of hearing or deaf.
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Black/African American BRG: recognized for responding to COVID-19 disparities and the exacerbation of racial injustice by acknowledging collective trauma and engaging in compassionate and therapeutic conversations with Novant Health team members.
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Veterans BRG: recognized for creating a supplemental leave policy to bridge the financial gap between a team member’s military and civilian pay when deployed.
The healthcare system was also recognized in the Top 10 Diversity Action Award category for language access during COVID-19. In 2020, the interpreter services team assisted more than 10,000 patients at Novant Health screening centers and an additional 85,000 limited English proficient (LEP) patients across the system.
For the second straight year, a Novant Health leader received the Executive Sponsor of the Year Award. Melissa Parker, senior vice president and chief advocacy officer, was recognized for her work as the persons with abilities BRG executive sponsor. Parker has diligently supported and promoted the BRG’s ideas, including a partnership agreement with the Amputee Coalition and the clear mask initiative in 2020.
Learn more about Novant Health’s diversity and inclusion efforts here.
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