In honor of Black History Month in February, Becker's Hospital Review asked what it means to be a Black leader in healthcare.
Here, Black healthcare leaders share how their heritage and culture infuses their leadership philosophies and adds purpose to their roles:
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Pamela Abner. Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer of Mount Sinai Health System (New York City): Black History Month is an ardent reminder and inspiration to me as a leader in DEI and health equity. It sets a tone and time for deep reflection on my personal journey and responsibility to help create a future where health equity is not just an aspiration, but a lived reality. It is a time for me to pause and acknowledge the sacrifices of those who relentlessly paved the way for so many others — seeking justice at all levels.
Growing up and reading about Frederick Douglass — he became one of my early historical heroes. As a child, I recall saying to my mother that I wish I had been present to help him in his fight against slavery. She quickly pointed out to me that life during those times was not something I would want to experience — but instead I should be grateful for what he (and others) did to allow me the freedom I enjoy.
For me, this month is about not forgetting our past. It is a time when we should boldly celebrate the innumerable contributions Blacks made to advance science and medicine — still while being subjected to harmful and inadequate treatment. It is about recognizing the harm and injustices that Black people still endure and encourage people to come forward to tell their stories and share their perspectives.
Gina Calder. President of BJC HealthCare Hospitals in St. Charles County, Mo.: My parents taught me very early on to embrace my identity and celebrate being Black. They also ensured I understood the challenges I would face and their belief that I could overcome them – even if they had not. I remember my father's fervent declaration to me that "poverty stops here," which launched my life's purpose to break the cycles that bind people and create systems and structures that build people. As I reflect on Black history, I am tremendously grateful for the inspiration and sacrifice of generations of advocates, change agents and leaders, many of whom did not live to see the progress they fought so hard to achieve. God compelled me here, and their lives and examples propelled me here. My goal is to honor them all through my impact.
I was surprised to discover healthcare leadership as a potential career path a few years after college while working as a consultant. Healthcare leaders have limitless opportunity and responsibility to impact and improve lives and redesign our thinking and our doing to best serve all communities. As an inclusive leader, I get to recruit, mentor, coach, sponsor and leverage diverse talent to achieve excellence, solve complex problems and ensure our community thrives. I am committed to making a difference in the lives of those we serve and expanding awareness and access to opportunities to serve, and that commitment fulfills and renews me daily.
Al Campbell, RN. President of Winchester (Mass.) Hospital: As a clinician and a leader of color in healthcare, my journey has been one defined by a deep commitment to service and a passion for uplifting communities. I carry with me the rich tapestry of my Guyanese heritage and use it as a guiding force in my mission to connect with the Caribbean diaspora. At Beth Israel Lahey Health's Winchester Hospital, we have an intentional commitment to diversifying our workforce and truly believe diversity is our strength. Beyond the borders of Winchester and Boston, I am dedicated to conducting missionary work and supporting the advancement of healthcare in underserved countries, recognizing the profound impact that access to quality healthcare can have for individuals and communities.
Growing up in a family of nurses and physicians, a profound sense of duty to heal people was instilled in me at a young age. This familial legacy continues to be a source of inspiration as we celebrate Black History Month and a reminder of the responsibility we bear to advocate for those who are subject to disparities in our healthcare ecosystem. As a man of color in healthcare leadership, I strive to amplify the voices of our communities, ensuring that their needs are not only heard but also addressed with compassion and urgency. My journey is driven by a belief in the transformative power of healthcare and a steadfast commitment to building a more equitable world for all.
Mary Chatman, PhD, RN. Executive Vice President of Acute Care Operations for Wellstar Health System (Marietta, Ga.): Like other minority leaders, I could write a book about my experiences and journey to who I am today. I aim to inspire other leaders working to grow and those who hope to move into leadership positions. I have four nuggets to offer as we celebrate Black History Month.
First, never forget your past, but don't become your past. Your experiences in the past should be a catalyst and motivator for you to repeat the things that have worked, learn from the things that did not and be ready to pivot. Second, admit what you don't know and make it your homework to find out. A good leader never pretends to have all the answers but is a lifelong learner. We learn from books, others, and trial and error. Just keep learning. Third, as I have heard in clinical strategy and often used in the perioperative space, "See one. Do one. Teach one." Our job is to develop a pipeline of minority leaders who will be more confident, more successful, and better leaders than we ever were. Fourth, as a minority leader, have a plan. If you have a plan, you are never hostage to your circumstances, but instead, you have options that give you the courage to stand up for what is right, to speak your truth, and to be deliberate. These principles connect me to my New Year's resolution — be a game-changer. Celebrating Black History Month reminds us of our rich history and ignites us to keep going.
Thea James, MD. Vice President of Mission and Associate Chief Medical Officer at Boston Medical Center: How lucky am I, to be a proud member of the executive leadership team at a health system that is literally rewriting healthcare.
At Boston Medical Center, we are rewriting healthcare with our patients by dismantling assumptions about what is not possible. We are changing the experience of health, and of health systems, for people of color who reside in historically disinvested communities. From my early days in the emergency department I instinctively knew that to profoundly impact lives we had to listen intently to our patients and take action — clinically and socially.
We began our journey with a mandate, initiated and fortified with accountability from the highest levels of our C-suite. Our charge was to examine our internal data across the enterprise, identify any disparity that drove disparate outcomes and uncover the root cause of the inequity. By partnering with our patients and community and having them contextualize the disparity, we began to co-create ways to close gaps and improve outcomes. What we learned led to an organizational transformation. Grounded in health justice, our model is intentional and efficient. Our learnings and gap reductions are people-centered and swift.
We are rewriting what is possible in healthcare when clinical excellence meets equity.
In a Health Affairs article, authors Braveman et al. support our intent. They wrote, "Systemic racism is so embedded in systems that it often is assumed to reflect the natural, inevitable order of things." We are committed to questioning the order of things, including the role of "safety net" or "essential" hospitals. Our mindset and intentionality diverges from status quo expectations and traditional experiences at these hospitals.
How lucky am I to have visited Boston Medical Center on my residency interview day, to have fallen in love at first sight, and to have had the honor to listen and learn from our patients.
I am still here, smitten, with great respect for our patients, communities, colleagues, the town and this place. We are, together, rewriting healthcare.
Geralda Xavier, MD. Chief Medical Officer of Atlantic Health System's Newton and Hackettstown Medical Centers in New Jersey: As a physician executive leader of color, I take every opportunity to encourage and educate the next generation of healthcare leaders on the importance of representation to be part of what we see in medicine. As most of us know, representation helps develop that immediate connection between our patients and their healthcare provider. Diversity can also inspire creativity, productivity and innovation, and as such, I am proud to continue the work of fostering an inclusive environment with my fellow physicians and clinical teams where they can thrive through shared experiences and learning. I am thankful to be part of a team at Atlantic Health System that empowers a person like myself and many others to continue to address important initiatives such as health equity to ensure that all the communities we serve can attain their full potential for health and well-being.