HCA Healthcare’s BRAVE Conversations Earn 2018 Innovations in Diversity Award

In an era of rapid technological advancement and change, diverse ways of thinking are more important than ever. HCA Healthcare is energized to think creatively, act purposefully and explore unique methods to not only improve healthcare, but the human condition. Feeling the pulse of this movement, HCA Healthcare’s Cultural Development and Inclusion team unveiled BRAVE Conversations, an “outside of the box” inclusion platform that recently snagged the top 2018 Innovations in Diversity Award by Profiles in Diversity Journal.

The accolades were announced as part of the 15th Annual Innovations in Diversity and Inclusion Award Competition by Profiles in Diversity Journal, a quarterly publication dedicated to promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the corporate, government, nonprofit, STEM and higher education sectors.

“This program was born from a real need from our colleagues who expressed a desire to have an interactive, inclusive, innovative, and safe way to share their thoughts on issues that are top of mind but are sometimes difficult to discuss,” said Sherri Neal, HCA Healthcare’s Vice President of Cultural Development and Inclusion.

Brought to the 2018 BRAVE Conversations stage were dynamic guest speakers who presented on topics such as the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) experience, generational differences, women’s equality, Latino culture, and a special session with a wounded warrior in honor of Veterans Day.

“We’ve found that real stories can be a more effective and powerful model for creating a culture of inclusion, as opposed to a formal training environment where the moderator has ‘control’ over the discussion,” states Neal.

BRAVE Spotlight: Tell Them We Are Rising

In celebration of Black History Month, colleagues viewed the documentary, Tell Them We Are Rising, which explored the pivotal role of historically black colleges and universities in American history, culture, and identity, and the power of higher education to transform lives and advance civil rights.  Participants held an open dialogue with guest panelists from the HBCU community.

BRAVE Spotlight: Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Justin Constantine — Honoring Our Veterans

Lieutenant Colonel (USMC Ret.) Justin Constantine, who suffered a severe head wound from a sniper in Afghanistan, led a powerful session on adversity, the battles we all share, finding courage we didn’t know we had, and how life should be about celebration, not simply survival.

BRAVE Spotlight: Nevertheless She Persisted

Nashville’s Thistle Farms is a social enterprise, which allows women who have survived trafficking, prostitution and addiction a safe space to rebuild their lives as they make and sell handmade home goods and bath/body products.  Founder and president Becca Stevens and a group of Thistle Farms’ women led HCA Healthcare colleagues in a BRAVE Conversation about the challenges women face in today’s America.

BRAVE Spotlight: Renata Soto Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

During this BRAVE Conversation, Renata Soto and Latina students Jacqueline Herrera and Maria Paula Zapata, shared their experience:  dreams and fears, belonging and rejection, identity and invisibility in today’s America. Soto, co-founder and Executive Director of Conexión Américas, discussed the most common misperceptions and stereotypes associated with the Latino community.

BRAVE Spotlight: The World According to Generation Z

During this BRAVE Conversation, colleagues had the opportunity to hear perspectives, thoughts and reflections from HCA Healthcare headquarters Summer Work Experience interns, including their views on work, community, family, current events, and the world at large.  The panel provided attendees with a better understanding of the ongoing generational shift in America’s workforce.

Care Like Family (A Really Big, Diverse Family)

Healthcare is an industry that affects everyone on this planet. It calls for a medium to transmit diversity and inclusion. From the way that our doctors interact with patients to the way HCA Healthcare hires and promotes, it’s clear that diversity is being ushered into the limelight.

In 2019, HCA Healthcare will continue to expand BRAVE Conversations by providing training modules that HCA Healthcare Human Resources Group colleagues and managers can easily facilitate for their co-located or virtual teams. This expansion approach will complement the team’s work in consulting, training and development for colleagues across the company.

According to Neal, “The vision for all our programs is to promote a culture of inclusion not only for our teams, but ultimately, to empower our caregivers to provide culturally competent and inclusive care to the patients we serve.”

Interested in joining our team? Visit here for information about careers at HCA Healthcare.