Spectrum Health Named Among Best Companies for Multicultural Women

June 30, 2021

Grand Rapids, Mich., June 30, 2021 — Spectrum Health has been named one of the 2021 Best Companies for Multicultural Women by Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media)—an honor recognizing companies that create and use best practices in hiring, retaining and promoting multicultural women in the United States.

Spectrum Health is one of three Michigan-based organizations and the only health care system in the state to be included on Seramount’s 2021 list.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to improving care and reducing health inequities, so no one gets left behind, and that’s at the heart of Spectrum Health’s mission, vision and values,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Pam Ries. “To be honored as one of the best companies for multicultural women is particularly rewarding because the vast majority of health care workers are women.”

In its continued efforts to be a national leader in diversity, equity and inclusion, Spectrum Health has amplified the importance of diversity in health care within its own workplace, as well as in the clinical setting, providing quality and essential care for increasingly diverse populations. By strengthening the organization’s culture and morale and working to close the health care gaps that exist today, the organization is committed to overcoming health inequity and systemic racism by living its mission to improve health, inspire hope and save lives in all communities.

At Spectrum Health between 2019 and 2020:
• Women employees from multicultural backgrounds increased more than 12 percent.
• The number of women from multicultural backgrounds who were senior managers increased by 15 percent.
• More Black, Latinx and Asian women were promoted.

Spectrum Health offers paid maternity and gender-neutral parental leave. During the pandemic, Spectrum Health offered childcare resources, support and remote work options for parents and caregivers. Recruitment and leadership development programs, employee resource groups and mentorship programs help multicultural women achieve success. To build a welcoming and inclusive work environment, Spectrum Health also requires cultural competency training, implicit bias education and diversity in the interview process.

“Living our values of compassion, curiosity, collaboration and courage helps us foster a sense of belonging for team members and this leads to a greater degree of inclusion,” Ries said. “From recruitment and hiring to employee training and development, Spectrum Health is focused on greater diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of our work. We’re excited to be recognized as a leader, and we look forward to achieving greater equity in health coverage and care for the communities we serve.”

Since 2003, Seramount’s Best Companies for Multicultural Women has tracked corporations’ progress in creating cultures that encourage multicultural women to join and rise through the ranks.

Participation in the initiative is up 19 percent year over year, and over the last five years, it has increased by 358 percent. Seramount’s Insights team attributes the uptick to increased interest in hiring and promoting women of color as well as improvement in the types of questions asked, especially the specific evaluation of women at each level by individual race and ethnicity, and the introduction of questions on anti-racism efforts.

“The increased participation in this initiative confirms that the importance of retaining and advancing multicultural women is not lost on corporate America,” said Subha V. Barry, CEO of Seramount. “By offering programs and implementing policies instrumental to their success, whether it’s sponsorship and mentoring programs or tying managers’ compensation to diversity goals, our Top Companies for Multicultural Women continue to demonstrate their commitment to this critical talent pool.”

A full list of winners, survey methodology and key findings can be found here.

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About Spectrum Health

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides care and coverage, comprising 31,000+ team members, 14 hospitals (including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital), a robust network of care facilities, teams of nationally recognized doctors and providers, and the nation’s third-largest provider-sponsored health plan, Priority Health, currently serving over 1 million members across the state of Michigan.
People are at the heart of everything we do. Locally governed and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we are focused on our mission: to improve health, inspire hope and save lives. Spectrum Health has a legacy of strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Through experience, innovation and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness.

Contact:
Beth Cranson
Media Relations Manager
Office: 616.391.2603
Mobile: 616.540.0813
Email: elizabeth.cranson@corewellhealth.org