For Lars Peterson, holding conversations about patient and staff interactions is part of his everyday role as Patient Experience coordinator. He stays in tune to staff and patients’ feelings regarding their time at PAH, turning their needs into tangible initiatives. Peterson has taken that role one step further by additionally serving as the chair of the People workgroup, a subcommittee of PAH’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee.
The workgroup has been strategizing how to elevate the people at the hospital, brainstorming ways to boost representation and enhance career opportunities among staff.
“Inequity can be pervasive and intimidating and we often don’t know where to start, but spreading awareness about the issue is always the first step,” said Peterson.
Collaborating with his co-chair Joy Robinson, Internal Medicine Residency Program coordinator, Peterson holds bi-monthly meetings with the workgroup to listen to their ideas for promoting a more inclusive and equitable work environment. Similarly, at his church, Peterson engages in productive meetings to ensure the same goal.
“I’m a member of a politically active church that is especially diverse. About a decade ago, our church had a lot of bumps and bruises and needed to learn how to talk to one another and folks from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds,” said Peterson. “Being part of that learning experience made me feel more comfortable diving into conversations around equity. When PAH offered a tactile way to engage in this topic on a professional level, I jumped at the opportunity.”
The workgroup’s goals are centered on recruitment, retention, and engagement. For recruitment, the workgroup has been developing the program Penn Pathways. Students at a local prep charter high school may volunteer at the hospital and rotate through various departments. After a year of volunteering, the workgroup hopes to recognize students and offer them a full-time position.
“If all goes well, and once the rotations end, we’ll ask the students about their experience in each department and where they think they’re the best fit, and we’ll move them into onboarding from there,” said Peterson.
To retain and engage employees, the workgroup has created a mentorship program in which employees are paired with a director-level leader to support professional goals, such as bolstering resumes and enrolling in certification programs. The mentorship program will accept its first round of mentee applications through the month of April. The workgroup will also partner with the Culture workgroup to collect patient and employee feedback on their work and clinical care experiences, sparking more ideas and opportunities for DEI efforts.
In March, Peterson and members of the workgroup attended the Beryl ELEVATE Patient Experience Conference in Indianapolis to present the framework of these initiatives.
“Our presentation was focused on our belief that patients and staff feel more comfortable when they are in a community that represents them and empowers them,” said Peterson. “We’re honored we got to share our ideas on a national level, and we look forward to solidifying these initiatives at PAH in the near future.”