Diversity

Valuing diversity is a significant part of the rich history of LifeBridge. Sinai Hospital was founded in 1866 as the Hebrew Hospital and Asylum Association and was the only hospital in Baltimore that served and employed people from the Jewish community. From that important beginning, we continue to value diversity in all aspects of our business.

In 2008 we launched an organization-wide diversity initiative with Warren Green, President and CEO of LifeBridge Health as the Executive Champion. The purpose of the initiative was to be more formally and publicly committed to embracing a culture of inclusion and mutual respect. The three focus areas were:

Workforce
The Workforce initiative was launched in 2008 with the creation of a Diversity Council. Members are represented by the diverse workforce of LifeBridge Health, including all of its facilities, four generational groups, management and front line staff. The members are compromised of a variety of people from different religious and cultural backgrounds, as well as and sexual preferences.

Supplier Diversity/ Women and Minority Owned Business (WMBE)
The supplier diversity initiative was launched in early 2008 with a small cross-functional team committed to creating opportunities and building relationships with Women and Minority-Owned Businesses (WMBE). Their goal is to increase the percentage of goods and services purchased with this group.

With the assistance of an outside consultant, departments that purchase goods and services were introduced to WMBE vendors at a supplier fair. The LifeBridge departments involved included facilities management, construction and design, food and nutrition, human resources, marketing and communications and patient services.

Community
The community diversity initiative was formally launched in 2008 as a way to get the organization involved in the surrounding community. Leaders throughout the organization are involved in community agencies and programs as volunteers. LifeBridge also has an extensive community outreach program focused on health screens and education regarding diabetes, cancer, heart health, etc.

One key initiative that continues to gain momentum is the LifeBridge Community Service Corp, which is open to all employees interested in working together to give back to the community. The Community Service Corp partners with community organizations in service projects such as park beautification, building maintenance/painting, playground construction, senior home repair and food, gift and book drives.

At LifeBridge, we embrace a culture of inclusion and mutual respect by valuing the unique contributions of each employee. We are committed as an organization to weaving diversity into the fabric of the organization.