Joining Together for Juneteenth and Pride Month

Julie Wood

A rainbow flag was proudly raised to the top of PAH’s flag pole on June 1, kicking off the start of Pride Month – a month dedicated to amplifying the voices and celebrating members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community. At PAH, Pride Month events were coordinated by the hospital’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Community workgroup.

Staff were first welcomed into PAH with a rainbow balloon arch at the employee entrance, receiving Pride swag, such as rainbow pins, buttons, and pronoun cards that could be displayed on badges. In addition, rainbow cupcakes were distributed in the cafeteria later that month.

Staff could also join system-wide webinars throughout the month, such as the virtual panel “Affirming LGBTQ+ Employees at Work” which discussed Penn Medicine’s policies and best practices to support LGBTQ+ team members.

“We want to recognize diversity at PAH. We are a hospital that welcomes everybody. No matter who you are, we will provide the best care possible for you,” said Annette Tantillo, senior director of Clinical Financial Services and Community workgroup member.

On June 17th, PAH held its inaugural Juneteenth Day of Remembrance in the Elm Garden, commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States and honoring the culture and achievements of Black Americans.

PAH CEO Theresa Larivee gave opening remarks to highlight the importance of this event. Craig Hargrove, Community workgroup chair, then introduced the keynote speaker, State Representative Malcom Kenyatta, who shared his personal experience and significance with Juneteenth and his passion for advocacy for Black communities in Philadelphia. Additionally, lead Anesthesia tech Tracy King and Pharmacy tech Carmela Bynum, performed musical tributes and attendees joined together for an ice cream social following the event.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to not only recognize and celebrate Juneteenth but also to educate our community on the history of this impactful day in history,” said Chris Tierney, Chief Human Resources Officer.

“It’s our first Juneteenth celebration, and there will be many more to come,” said Judi Elliot, Regulatory and Accreditation coordinator. “We have a lot of work to do for promoting DEI at PAH, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”