By Steve Blanchard - January 13, 2023
Each year Moffitt Cancer Center recognizes and celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. It does so by encouraging team members to volunteer in the community in a “day of service” and participate in the National Day of Racial Healing on Jan. 17.
Cathy Grant, vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Moffitt, says that participating in this annual event fits well within the cancer center’s mission of treating and curing cancer.
“Racial inequities contribute to disparate health outcomes," said Grant. "Moffitt is focused on ensuring that our patients of all backgrounds benefit from excellent care and equitable outcomes. By embracing the diversity of our team members and community, we foster an environment where, together, we can make a collective impact toward achieving the mission of the cancer center. At Moffitt, the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is foundational.”
"By embracing the diversity of our team members and community, we foster an environment where, together, we can make a collective impact toward achieving the mission of the cancer center. "
- Cathy Grant, Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
The annual National Day of Racial Healing is held one day after the nation remembers King. The day is set aside to have essential and timely conversations on racial healing, equity and justice. This is the seventh year for the National Day of Healing, a program created by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation effort.
In addition to encouraging community volunteerism, Moffitt will host a special event for team members focused on The Schwartz Center, which stands for compassionate health care.
Schwartz Rounds offers healthcare providers a “venue to openly and honestly discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and their families.” In joining the Schwartz Rounds forum with the National Day of Racial Healing, conversations on the interplay of belonging, identity and healing will occur in a safe and constructive forum.
“The National Day of Racial Healing centers around experiences rooted in truth-telling, offering people, organizations and communities a day set aside for racial healing, bringing people together to take collective action for a more just and equitable world,” according to the Kellogg Foundation. “Racial healing recognizes the need to acknowledge and tell the truth about past wrongs created by individual and systemic racism and address the present consequences. It can facilitate trust and build authentic relationships that bridge divides created by real and perceived differences.”
The National Day of Racial Healing is one of many ways that Moffitt demonstrates its long-standing commitment to serve as the source of cancer care for all communities. Recognizing a day of racial healing on the heels of King’s birthday gives team members, patients and the community focused time to connect with one another, build relationships and bridge divides.
