Effective October 29: Masking required while in patient rooms and treatment areas when interacting with Team RVH, patients and visitors.

RVH is committed to a culture where Equity and Inclusion principles are integrated into all aspects of the organization. As such, we are continuously taking steps to create and sustain a healthcare environment where everyone is acknowledged, respected and celebrated. To support these efforts, we acknowledge the existence of various forms of racism, oppression, discrimination and bias within our society and its impacts on the health and wellbeing of certain populations. We proactively work with equity-deserving communities to dismantle existing systems that perpetuate these inequities in our environment.

Why does Equity & Inclusion matter?

Our goal is to achieve a culture where behaviours, structures and systems reflect equity and inclusivity not just to tick boxes, but to challenge the status quo and ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of patients, families, staff, volunteers and visitors of RVH. This is consistent with our purpose of “Making life better, with the care you need, close to home.”

This means that:

As a healthcare provider, we provide high quality and personalized care to all patients and families by understanding and addressing barriers that contribute to inequitable health outcomes and access.

As an employer, we support a welcoming and inclusive work culture, while attracting and retaining the best talent.

Invest in and nurture a culture where everyone is acknowledged, respected, celebrated and feels safe.

Experience

Equitable, inclusive, accessible and culturally safe experiences and services that meet the needs of the community.

Education and Training

Equity and Inclusion principles embedded in the foundations of care, research, education and leadership activities.

Structure, Systems and Policies

Structures, systems and policies that promote and incorporate principles of equity and inclusion.

Workforce

A workforce, at all levels, that reflects the diversity of the community.

Initiatives to promote an equitable and inclusive environment at RVH

  • Established an Equity & Inclusion Council to support and provide strategic direction on equity and inclusion topics and activities.
  • Launched the Equity & Inclusion Strategy to uphold organizational accountability.
  • Encourage the inclusion of personal pronouns and phonetic pronunciation of names for Team members.
  • Monthly educational and training sessions for Team RVH on equity & inclusion related topics e.g. Bystander Intervention Training.
  • Maintain Equity and Inclusion calendar to celebrate and recognize various days of significance.
  • Created an internal SharePoint site dedicated to Equity & Inclusion resources, programs, and support.

To advance and inform our work on Equity and Inclusion we partner with several key community partners including:

Meaghan Ellis, Director People Culture

Enobong Udofa, Manager, People Equity and Inclusion

If you have any questions and/or suggestions related to Equity and Inclusion at RVH, please reach out to us at EquityInclusion@rvh.on.ca. We look forward to hearing from you!