The Bristol Health organization has recently been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of 2021’s Top Diversity Leaders for its continued focus on promoting diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the organization.

Bristol Health was one of only 10 organizations to earn this national distinction. The profiles of all the honorees were featured in the Sept. 20 print issue of Modern Healthcare magazine and at ModernHealthcare.com/top-diversity-leaders.

“We recognize that diversity, equity and inclusion are imperative to delivering quality care. We set goals and benchmarks annually, many of which have led to hardwired initiatives, including annual unconscious bias training for all employees, monthly education papers, a system-wide Diversity Day Celebration, Pride Month observance, and many more,” said Albert Peguero, Bristol Health’s Performance Excellence, Business Development and Emergency Preparedness manager. “Diversity is so important in healthcare. People from every race, creed, gender and age come to us every day in their time of need. To best treat them, it’s vital that they see themselves within the healthcare workforce. We’re so proud to continue to make positive strides in that regard.”

Now an annual recognition program, the Top Diversity Leaders award honors the top healthcare executives from diverse backgrounds and the organizations influencing the policy and care delivery models across the country. In doing so, they are also highlighting the continued need to nurture diversity in their organizations.

“Healthcare organizations widely promote their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts when they’re first announced. But it’s more important to track success and make sure those initiatives deliver on the long-term results the companies and communities they serve expect. This year, we increased the cadence of our diversity recognition program and expanded eligibility to include companies as a whole, as well as individuals,” said Modern Healthcare editor, Aurora Aguilar. “The 2021 class of Top Diversity Leaders lead the pack in healthcare. These are people and companies that exemplify “walking the walk.” Congratulations to all of our honorees and thank you for the hard work you do on the important issue of inclusivity.”

Bristol Health’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices have been especially beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bristol Health took a leadership approach to introduce concepts such as Emergency Medicine Telehealth to ensure access to care for all in its community. When the COVID vaccine was authorized for emergency use, Bristol Health partnered with the local chapter of the NAACP to host town-hall conversations that addressed questions and concerns as well as holding vaccine registration events in strategic places such as the local NAACP office and churches. Additionally, Bristol Health printed vaccine information in numerous languages and visited local small businesses to saturate the market with critical information about the vaccine.