Why This Is Important to Us

Nemours Delaware Valley, Office of Health Equity and Inclusion

Vision: Nemours will establish national leadership in the elimination of pediatric healthcare disparities
Mission: The Office of Health Equity and Inclusion will embrace both internal Nemours and community partnerships to ensure the highest level of health care and respect for all of the pediatric patients, families, and communities that we serve.

The office will serve the following six functions:

1. Quality: a) Monitor quality and patient satisfaction by race, ethnicity, language and socioeconomic status to identify health care disparities within the communities that we serve. b) Implement strategies to eliminate these disparities.
2. Cultural Competency: a) Provides ongoing cultural competency training for: leadership, administration, physicians, and nursing staff, and other employee staff. b) Monitor cultural competency of the entire organization and patient care units.
3. Community Engagement: Engages diverse community groups/businesses through community outreach and participation in community events.
4. Workforce Diversity: a) Tracks the diversity of the population we serve b) Partner with Human Resources, and Leadership in the mentoring, recruitment, hiring, and retention of a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
5. Language Proficient and Health Care Literacy: Partner with patient services to evaluate, monitor and ensure the provision of language and health care literacy proficient services (signage, written communication, interpretation, health care navigation).
6. National Leadership in Healthcare Equity Research: Engages in best practices, grant writing, and scientific publication to advance health equity at a national level.

Nemours promises to care for every child as if they were our own. Our Office of Health Equity and Inclusion ensures we deliver on this mission and promise by providing the highest level of health care and respect for all pediatric patients, families and communities we serve. Our vision — our mission — is to establish national leadership in the elimination of pediatric healthcare disparities. At Nemours, we acknowledge that we need a deep respect and understanding of different cultures, languages, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities/expressions, religions, abilities, socioeconomic statuses and more to fulfill this mission. Children and their families must truly understand the care that they are receiving — and what they need to do after they leave our hospital — to ensure their ongoing health and well-being.

The Office of Health Equity and Inclusion helps to ensure that we are all more aware — by developing partnerships between Nemours staff, our families and our communities — and collects valuable input from patients and families like you.

Research shows that patients and families of different backgrounds and languages are sometimes not only treated differently — and less effectively — while they are receiving care at some of our nations’ hospitals, it also shows that patients and families often don’t understand their diagnoses, plans of care and discharge instructions as well as they could if they were given individualized care and attention to their specific and unique needs. This creates situations where patients’ conditions are sometimes compromised: patients may not get better, they may get worse, or they may end up right back at the same hospitals — all simply because they didn’t have the information and guidance they needed to completely understand how to manage their conditions.

Because our goal at Nemours — and in this country — is to consistently deliver equal health care and to consistently get equal outcomes for our patients, Nemours and health care systems nationwide need to do a better job of understanding and communicating with all of our patients and their families. To that end, each patient has the right to be granted access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically necessary. At Nemours, the patient, parent(s) and/or guardian(s) have the right to be granted access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically necessary regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression. Nemours will not restrict or deny participation (visitation) on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity/expression or disability. Guidelines are intended to be flexible in order to respond to the diverse and individual needs and preferences of each patient and unanticipated and unique circumstances, as well as to assure the safety of patients, families and staff.

We welcome you and your children — with any and of all of your uniqueness — at Nemours. And we welcome your partnership to achieve optimal healthcare outcomes for all children.

Learn More About the Office of Health Equity and Inclusion (PDF)

Nemours Health Disparities Science Research (NHDSR) integrates the traditional health disparities indicators (namely race/ethnicity, sex, age and disability) with emerging indicators (particularly obesity/overweight and substance abuse/dependence) in examining variability in health outcomes across diverse populations, and mapping intervention in order to narrow these variances. By utilizing traditional and molecular epidemiologic tools, the overarching purpose of this initiative is to narrow health disparities in incidence, prevalence, severity and progression as well as mortality.

With the biological and molecular aspects of health disparities etiopathogenesis, the NHDSR emerges as a leader in health disparities science research by being one of the few institutions to assess biomarkers as predispositions to racial/ethnic disparities in incidence, prevalence, severity and mortality outcomes. Studies conducted by our division are used to inform clinicians and other health care providers regarding determinants of differences in health and health care outcomes, and how to remove such factors in order to achieve equitable care and comparable outcomes across diverse patient populations.

At Nemours, health disparities science research originates primarily from the Nemours Office of Health Equity and Inclusion (OHEI). The research activities involve quality, workforce diversity, community engagement, cultural/linguistic competencies and specific health/health care outcomes. In assessing health care processes and outcomes as related to health disparities indicators, NHDSR collaborates with several departments and divisions across Nemours, including Nemours Health & Prevention Services (NHPS), musculoskeletal/orthopedics, hematology/oncology, trauma and the Emergency Department (ED).

Current Projects

Current Projects

Publications

Browse a listing of publications from Nemours researchers related to health disparities science research.

Associate Resource Groups

Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) are independent, voluntary groups of associates (employees), who:

• share common demographics/interests, or are allies of the group
• are aligned with the company’s business objectives
• are a catalyst for talent recruitment, engagement and retention strategies
• produce measurable results that tie back to company objectives

Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children currently has four ARGs, which include:

African Heritage

The mission of the African Heritage Associate Resource Group at Nemours is to impact and enhance optimal patient care services and associate relationships by providing an inclusive experience and valued understanding from a diverse cultural perspective.

Our general areas of focus are enhancing patient care and the culturally diverse associate experience at Nemours.

Specific projects — past, present and future:

• external speaker talk about workplace diversity
• annual African American History Month celebration
• Racial Healing series

Why associates should join:

• to gain a better understanding of the culturally diverse environment at Nemours and to partner in finding ways to enhance the relationship between patients, families and each other

“Adelante” Latino/Hispanic

The mission of the Latino/Hispanic Associate Resource Group is to create a diverse and culturally competent environment where all associates feel they have a voice, and where the Latino/Hispanic families we serve feel their needs are being met.

Our general areas of focus are recruitment, education and awareness of Hispanic culture, and community building.

Specific projects — past, present and future:

• annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration
• annual Cinco de Mayo celebration
• annual Wilmington Hispanic Festival & Parade
• annual panel discussion
• "Estamos Aquί" (We are here) documentary

Why associates should join:

• to have their voices heard, opinions valued, help improve the workplace, and network with other Latinos/Hispanics in the organization in a safe and welcoming environment

Caregivers

The mission of Caregivers group is to give Nemours associates a place to meet and share self-care resources, provide support, and develop strategies to help understand and alleviate the stressors of caregiving. As we share the journey of our own caregiving and our tips and strategies for helping ourselves, we hope to help others in their caregiving journey.

Our general areas of focus is self-care, support, friendship, education.

Why associates should join:

• to promote advanced self-care initiatives for associates and their families
• be in a place of respite from the double burden of caregiving

Nemours Pride

The mission of the Nemours Pride Associate Resource Group is to network with other associates who identify as LGBTQ, improve patient care for this group of patients and to have fun!

Our general area of focus is to network with other associates who identify as LGBTQ, improve patient care for this group of patients and to have fun.

Specific projects — past, present and future:

• celebrations for our acknowledgement by the Human Rights Campaign as a leader in health care equality
• discussion on “Being Out at Work” with panel discussion
• use the Health Equality questionnaire to identify gaps in our organization and work to close the gaps
• Safe Space training

Why associates should join:

• to have fun, meet other people and to work to improve both patient care and employee engagement

Women Leaders

The mission of the Women Leaders Associate Resource Group is to increase the pathways to leadership, provide professional development, and to engage in networking and community engagement.

Specific projects — past, present and future:

• coordinated a clothing drive that focused on helping women have job interview and work clothing — collected over 4,000 pounds of clothing
• round table discussions with local women leaders to learn about their struggles, victories and advice

Why associates should join:

• for the opportunity to connect with like-minded women in other areas of the organization, increase our visibility, grow professionally and identify ourselves for additional leadership opportunities

Please contact us at OHEI@nemours.org for more information.