Belonging and Equity

Building a Culture Where Everyone Belongs

Who We Are

The Belonging and Equity (BE) department at Brown University Health is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment for our employees, patients, and community members. Our goal is to create a culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered, with diversity and inclusion at the core of everything we do.

Our Commitment

Guided by our CARE values—Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence—we promote inclusive excellence and provide equal opportunities for all. We are dedicated to building environments that celebrate the diverse experiences and identities of our teams, patients, and community, empowering individuals to contribute to the success of Brown University Health.

A Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Brown University Health and its partner hospitals are proud to be equal opportunity employers. We value and respect personal differences, backgrounds and identities, and are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination. We value and respect differences in race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, military status, sex, marital status, gender identity, and gender expression. At Brown University Health, we strive to create a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued, and is treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.

What We Do

The Belonging and Equity department at Brown University Health focuses on four key areas to drive inclusive excellence:

Advancement: Creating an inclusive environment that drives equitable outcomes for employees and patients.
Community: Building strong, supportive relationships between the community and Brown University Health to improve employee and patient well-being.
Education: Expanding learning opportunities to promote cultural awareness and growth mindset practices, fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging principles throughout the organization.
Engagement: Cultivating a culture of belonging that values differences, fosters connections across the organization, and supports common goals.

At Brown University Health, we are committed to the continuous development of our employees, fostering strong team relationships, enhancing skills, and driving success across the organization. A key part of this commitment is advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) principles.

As we work toward creating an inclusive environment, we understand the importance of continuously deepening our knowledge and application of DEIB principles. To support this goal, the office of belonging and equity (BE) offers a wide range of learning opportunities designed to help all employees grow in these critical areas.

These opportunities include:

In-person workshops: Focused on BE's core learning pathways, these workshops offer hands-on, interactive experiences.
Virtual engagement: Accessible through department and team learning requests, as well as virtual workshops centered on BE's core learning pathways.
Self-paced learning library: A collection of courses designed to be easily digestible, offering practical insights into various aspects of DEIB principles.

We are dedicated to providing our employees with the tools and resources needed to grow and thrive in an inclusive and equitable workplace.

The Brown University Health Belonging and Equity Committee is a dedicated group of employees from across the health system that work to promote belonging, respect, and cultural competence across the organization through strategic initiatives and collaborative efforts. This committee is supported by five specialized action teams and includes members from various inclusions groups within the organization. These teams are the thought and do generators tasked with identifying, implementing, and executing projects that advance equity and inclusivity within the organization.

Inclusive environment action team
Education and learning action team
Healthy community outcomes action team
Talent engagement action team
Rewards and recognition action team

ERGs (employee resource groups) are voluntary groups whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with BE priorities and organizational goals. They are led and participated in by employees who share a characteristic, whether it's gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, lifestyle, or interest. The groups exist to provide support and help in personal or career development and to create a safe space where employees can bring their whole selves to the table and contribute authentically.

All ERGs at Brown University Health are work-approved and employee-led. Activity usually occurs during business hours and employees need to be in good performance standing to be a member of any ERG. Our current ERGs include:

Sexuality and gender alliance (SAGA)
Muslim ERG
Neurodiveristy ERG

The Belonging and Equity and Talent Acquisition teams work closely together to support an inclusive environment from the beginning of a candidate’s journey. This starts by collaborating with the sourcing and recruiting team to provide cultural awareness and bias trainings, expand diverse pools of candidates, enhance interview processes, and diversify interview panels. We have designed our onboarding programs to address unique needs of new employees, and incorporate mentorship and feedback opportunities to enhance engagement. The teams promote inclusive communication practices to create a welcoming atmosphere for new employees when joining Brown University Health. The Belonging and Equity and Talent Acquisition teams work together to identify continuous learning opportunities focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for a better candidate and new hire experience.