At Island Health Care, we take pride in the diversity of our clients and our staff. Yet, this moment calls on us to state unequivocally that we stand in solidarity with Black, Brown, Indigenous, and all People of Color.

We take our commitment to inclusive and patient-centered health care seriously by:

• Creating sliding scales to increase access to health care;
• Extending needed care to those without health insurance;
• Employing bilingual staff to fully serve our Brazilian community;
• Striving to maintain a diverse clinical and administrative staff;
• Working to narrow health disparities that exist for People of Color by increasing access to preventative care to prevent chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease;
• Delivering health care to Dukes County Jail detainees and inmates.

Still, we can do more. We can be better. There can be no complacency. No “good enough.” To that end, we pledge:

• To listen carefully and engage in conversations about race and white privilege by acknowledging the systematic racism in our culture.
• To create a diversity coordinator position with training in the field, who can respond to issues and concerns, whether from the community or inside the clinic.
• To increase our broader understanding by requiring cultural competency, trauma, and anti-racism training for all staff members.
• To further develop and promote equitable hiring policies and leadership cultivation at all levels of our organization.

This is our commitment and our pledge: to listen, to engage, and to be mindful in creating and maintaining a continuum of care that respects every patient, clinician, and caregiver.