Sponsored by University of Utah School of Medicine's Office for EDI, the Department Time Out is a recurrent, systematic initiative during which participants take a scheduled recess from work/school responsibilities to discuss pertinent social issues. EDI Experts Jessica L. Jones, Helen Davis, Stacey Board, Holly Bynum, and Darin Ryujin share how faculty, staff and students take time to recognize and address pertinent topics of social injustice.

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.

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 transition from using the term "refugee" to "New American" is just another way University of Utah Health is creating an inclusive and welcoming environment. Redwood Health Centers' Chantal Taha and Marissa Higbee, along with Patient Experiences' Anna Gallegos share the importance of using this new language.

Hiring challenges are not new to hospitals and HR departments, but they have compounded in recent years due to the pandemic and the growth of our system. The Talent Acquisition team is using these challenges as an opportunity to reassess and refine our hiring practices to align with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts. Lisa Dyson and James Sugiyama share how they’re partnering with others to drive access and equity in hiring.

Learning how to navigate school, healthcare and more as they settle into Utah can be difficult for new Americans. Assistant Professor Milad Mozari from the division of Multi-Disciplinary Design (MDD) at the U’s College of Architecture and Planning, has been working to use virtual reality technology to support the resettlement process of Utah’s newcomers.

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.

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.

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.

Everybody deserves the dignity of being called by their chosen name and having their correct pronouns used. Organizational Development’s Sheila Sconiers and Clare Lemke, along with the Transgender Health Program’s Jessica Stahle, share the importance of pronouns, how to use them in patient care, and what to do if you make a mistake.

In honor of MLK Week, join the University of Utah community as they host a series of events exploring the reverend’s complex ideas on the meaning of love, and together we’ll examine the strength needed to choose it when faced with hatred and division.

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.