A message from Medical Home Network President and CEO Cheryl Lulias regarding our commitment to change

  • Published On  Jun 16, 2020

Black Lives Matter protests in Chicago and around the country in response to the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have amplified decades of anger and frustration over brutality. The protests have inspired many to take a stand against systemic racism and what is clearly a shameful abuse of power and authority.

I want to acknowledge, as a leader, where I can do better and take steps to ensure our organization responds to this crisis by becoming actively antiracist. This includes an immediate commitment to improving racial diversity on our leadership team.

I also acknowledge the privileges inherent in my own life experiences as a white woman and will be open to listening and learning from those who have faced injustice their entire lives. I believe representation in leadership matters, and we must forge intentional and sustainable pathways to the top tiers of leadership by championing diversity and accountability.

As the leader of an organization whose mission it is to improve the health of under-resourced communities and promote health justice, I have seen firsthand the healthcare disparities that impact our most vulnerable populations. I find myself questioning, more than ever, why we accept it as normal that there are under-resourced communities - and that these communities are disproportionately communities of color. Racism is a root cause of inequities in healthcare access and outcomes and contributes to numerous social illnesses in our world.

With this lens, we will continue our work to partner with community organizations to address healthcare disparities. I will do my part to improve MHN’s organizational health, create opportunity, and prevent disparate career outcomes in MHN’s workforce.