Since the moment I began practicing back in 2007, I have been involved in education. Teaching our next generation of caregivers is a passion of mine and have dedicated my career to this along with high quality patient care. This is where my focus on diversity, equity and inclusion began. Our patients and learners deserve to be in an environment where they are safe to be themselves and have open lines of communication with all those around them. Currently I serve on the Guthrie DEI Executive Steering Committee and have made a point of attending conferences and meetings focused on DEI initiatives.
Another role I have at Guthrie is Designated Institutional Official, overseeing all education for the Guthrie Healthcare System. This allows me the opportunity to influence our learners’ experience focusing on diversity and inclusion. We host lectures, forums and affinity groups focused on diversity and LGBTQ+. Our organization has placed LGBTQ+ health and experience as a top priority with required education over the past year and modifications to update our electronic health records with the ability to recognize preferences.