Allying for Health Equity Blog

A Message from ACU’s Senior Director of JEDI Initiatives Sabrina Edgington

Our collective work to advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is critical in our increasingly divisive political and social climate. The current war on equity has led to state restrictions on reproductive and gender-affirming care, defunding critical healthcare services such as HIV care, and bills that would restrict state funding for DEI trainings. These actions not only negatively impact efforts to improve health equity but create significant distress for patients and providers who identify and ally with minoritized and marginalized groups.

Since their inception during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, health centers have served as a community beacon to ensure that those who are underrepresented and underserved in society have full representation and access to affirming healthcare services. Today, health center leaders are being called upon to counter harmful rhetoric and actions with acts of justice and inclusion. This requires an ongoing commitment to learning and creating spaces where everyone belongs. ACU created the JEDI Initiative to equip the healthcare workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and confront individual, structural, and systemic discrimination. In addition to JEDI trainings and convenings, ACU recently shared two free self-paced e-courses that offer foundational training for healthcare workers – Understanding Racism in Medicine and Having Tough Conversations: Creating a Brave Space Filled with Grace.

ACU’s First JEDI Learning Collaborative

Today, we are excited to announce ACU’s first JEDI Learning Collaborative, Establishing Organizational and Leadership Commitment to Equity and Inclusion. This new learning collaborative recognizes the critical role that leaders play in advancing equity and inclusion at institutional and community levels. We invite you to learn more and join us as we collectively move the needle towards equity.

Learn more and register for the upcoming Learning Collaborative, Establishing Organizational and Leadership Commitment to Equity and Inclusion. The deadline to register is Friday, July 7, 2023.

Apply for the Learning Collaborative

Deadline: Friday, July 7, 2023

Additional resources, including upcoming events focused on JEDI, are available on ACU’s JEDI Initiative webpage.

ACU would like to thank UnitedHealthcare for their generous support which allows us to offer this learning collaborative series for free to healthcare leaders and advocates.