Manager of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON
I work with individuals and communities who are historically marginalized and underserviced within the health system. My 20 + years of working in healthcare and not-for-profits with a broad range of different stakeholder groups have allowed me to identify areas where we can support the growth of equity, diversity and inclusiveness. The N4 course was helpful in solidifying this knowledge.
It was my hope that the program would broaden my understanding of the underlying complexities in providing support to newcomers, namely around the fact that we need to consider not only language, but gender roles, the ability to create a safe space for discussion and identifying a commonality to build bridges, regarding of cultural differences.
On a more personal level, it was incredibly insightful to be able to explore the dichotomy of being the marginalized person who is also in a position of privilege and as a practitioner via the various topics covered by the program.
The most valuable thing I learned in the N4/Saint Paul University Online Program
Given the context of the pandemic and Black Lives Matter, the second half of the course really resonated around my work as a healthcare professional exploring gaps in the system and identifying capacity to make system changes. The internship allowed me to deepen my understanding of the need to consider the impact of intersectionality including race, gender, ethnicity, social location, geographic location and other systemic barriers experienced by healthcare professionals trying to meet the needs of clients and families; and to understand how the system can cause vulnerability for those who arrive at its intersections from multiple directions and locations.