inclusion

Over the past several years, health has taken center stage. COVID-19 has not only made us each more aware of our own health, but also forced us to recognize major flaws and gaps in our healthcare system. 

Conversations about health disparities, social determinants of health, and diversity, equity, and inclusion have made their way onto meeting agendas and into boardroom discussions at healthcare institutions across the country.

In hospital environments, the challenge of grappling with these topics is combined with an environment where emotions are high, time exists in a vacuum, and space (physical and metaphorical) is hard to find. At hospitals, human vulnerability and rawness are presented in their most tangible forms: A mother holding her newborn baby for the first time. A family saying goodbye to a loved one too soon. A patient receiving news that will change their life from the moment it’s uttered. 

Leadership at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) is taking all of this into account as they lean into the work of creating an environment that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive.

Located in downtown Buffalo, ECMC’s staff of 3,800 serves over 350,000 patients annually. As a safety net provider in Buffalo, they turn no patients away and routinely see patients who are un- or underinsured or who are members of vulnerable populations. ECMC is also designated a Level 1 Adult Trauma Center by the New York State Department of Health, as well as a regional center for burn care, behavioral health services, transplantation, medical oncology, head and neck cancer care, and rehabilitation. 

Needless to say, there is no shortage of diversity at ECMC with staff and patients of all ethnicities, races, religions, cultures, and thought. 

This means that interweaving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts into their system is a priority, albeit a complicated one, and ECMC has found their champion in Cynthia Bass.

A highly educated and trained HR professional, Cynthia joined ECMC in 2011 as a Benefits Analyst in the Human Resources Department. Over the years, she has continued to make advancements, receiving a certificate in Diversity Management in Healthcare, accepting the position of Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2017, and making the National Diversity Council’s Top 100 Diversity Officers in Healthcare in 2022.

Today, she serves as Chief Diversity Officer for the ECMC Corporation. 

While titles and accreditations make Cynthia stand out from the crowd, it’s her courage, empathy, and patience that make her such a force at ECMC. 

Outside of the hospital’s walls, Cynthia and her team are increasing ECMC’s DEI efforts within the community by celebrating Juneteenth, hosting a radio show on WUFO 96.5, and sharing resources related to primary and behavioral health care. Within the hospital, she’s creating a work environment that feels safe and welcoming to every member of ECMC’s staff by holding cultural awareness trainings, offering inclusive language courses, launching monthly educational “lunch and learns” that bring in speakers from different cultures and communities, and overseeing eight Employee Resource Groups. 

In all of her efforts, Cynthia maintains an emphasis on the importance of gaining buy-in at every level, from board leadership to individual staff. She and her team maintain continuous communication with ECMC employees, sharing information but also seeking feedback and conversation. She meets with leadership regularly, always encouraging an openness to learning and evolving.

“We can’t change people’s thought processes,” she acknowledges when asked about her vision for a diverse, inclusive, and equitable ECMC over the next decade and beyond. “But we can bring awareness. My hope is that, when concerns arise, it becomes automatic for our leaders to respond with intention. And we’re working toward that by integrating DEI into the work we do every single day.”

Momentous change doesn’t come from the occasional grand gesture or from short-term thinking. It comes from the subtle and persistent collective efforts of individuals. And it comes with the guidance and leadership of everyday champions like Cynthia Bass.