Quoteworthy
Paying attention to the traumatic experiences endured by our underrepresented colleagues helps us practice kindness, compassion, and empathy with one another.
Mauricio "Mo" Laguan, Jean Whitlock and Megan Call

Most Recent
How to Have Hard Conversations About Race and Ethnicity with Patients

Accurate, self-reported race and ethnicity data is necessary to create visibility of health disparities, provide inclusive care, and improve equity of health outcomes. Redwood Health Center’s Patient Relations Specialist Nichole Misner shares how to respectfully discuss this needed health information with patients.

Best Practices for Transgender and Gender Diverse Care

Transgender and gender diverse patients face systemic discrimination in our broader society and inequitable access to needed care. Ariel Malan, program coordinator and Andy Rivera, volunteer for Utah’s Transgender Health Program, share how to create an inclusive care environment for this vulnerable population focused on trust and respect.

Harmful Myths About Asian Americans in Medicine

Asian Americans face unique types of racism and discrimination that can make them feel invisible and out-of-place within our workspaces. By acknowledging this racism, we can take the first step to creating a more inclusive environment.

Don’t Get Lost in Translation: Expert Advice for Caring for New Americans

As Redwood Health Center’s program coordinator serving new Americans, Anna Gallegos has learned valuable lessons that can help all of us better care for patients of refugee background and vulnerable populations. Here are three suggestions to help make caring for patients easier.

The BIPOC Check-in and Support Group

Well-being specialist Trinh Mai started BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of color) Check-in & Support via Zoom as a place to grieve and honor George Floyd and process ongoing racism. This is a space for employees at the U who self-identify as BIPOC to experience community, share struggles and solutions, and celebrate being who they are. Trinh and some members of the check in group share how the group started, how it has evolved and its lasting impacts.

Choosing Love Over Hate

Whether it was growing up in segregated Georgia, working with leaders across the country during the civil rights movement, leading a congregation at Calvary Baptist Church, or teaching an ethnic studies class at the U, Reverend France A. Davis has lived the theme of “Choosing Love Over Hate.” With the U of U Marriott Library, he shares his experiences and discusses “choosing love” in navigating today’s challenges.

Responding with Kindness: Racial and Minority Trauma

Rising racist aggressions against the backdrop of an anxious and unnerving year can exacerbate the trauma racial groups and minorities experience. Megan Call of the Resiliency Center, social worker Jean Whitlock and EDI expert Mauricio Laguan explain racial trauma and how kindness, to ourselves and each other, is what this moment demands.

How to Respond with Compassion when Someone is Hurt by Racism

Racism isn’t something that happens “somewhere else.” Mindfulness educators and social workers Trinh Mai and Jean Whitlock facilitated an interracial dialogue on talking about race and racism to learn from local lived experiences. Here they share a scenario reflecting common dynamics and give recommendations for a compassionate and constructive response.

Native American Perspectives on Thanksgiving

The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian provides a wealth of perspectives often absent in American history textbooks and mainstream culture. Here are five curated favorites from the comprehensive collection filled with artwork and stories worth sharing.

Be Mindful and Educate Yourself: Black Patient Voices

The crises of Covid-19 and police brutality have highlighted systemic racial inequity in the United States and the need to consciously dismantle the forces that cause racial health disparities. PA students Scarlett Reyes and Jocelyn Cortez brought together Black patients at the University of Utah to share their experiences. Their advice: build cultural competence and be mindful of microaggressions.

Addressing Discrimination With Your Team

After receiving feedback from an employee survey, Community Clinics Environmental Services Director Jess Rivera pulled her team together to address workplace discrimination. She shares insights from her journey to break down barriers and create a safe, inclusive work environment for all.

Build Team Connection by Exploring Implicit Bias

Chief Medical Information Officer Maia Hightower shares a group exercise for exploring bias in the workplace that helps teams build connection and meaning.