Many Faces, One VA, Changing Lives Everyday

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"Many Faces, One VA, Changing Lives Everyday!"
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http//www1.va.gov/diversity/
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• Strategic Profile
• USH DAB exists to help create and capitalize on a
  diverse workforce.
• Strategic aim
• to strengthen our organizations competitive
  advantage by being more adaptive and creative in
  meeting the needs of our patients, staff and
  stakeholders.  
• USH DAB
• address issues affecting diversity in the
  workplace
• advise the Under Secretary for Health and key
  Veterans Health Administration (VHA) senior
  management on issues affecting workplace
  diversity
• ensuring VHA becomes an employer of choice. 

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• Mission To be a catalyst to enhance awareness,
  understanding, professional development, and
  management of diversity as an essential part of
  business success. 
• Vision  To be a committed proactive champion
  for workforce diversity creating and supporting
  initiatives that bring about an inclusive,
  productive work environment now and in the
  future. 

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• Guiding Goals
• Increasing awareness and sensitivity of diversity
  in the workforce
• Serving as a resource to VHA leaders in the
  promotion of workforce diversity
• Identifying challenges to the advancement of
  diversity within the VHA and developing programs
  or initiatives to address the challenges and to
  change paradigms
• Establishing relationships with internal and
  community organizations/programs that enhance
  diversity in the VHA.

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• Strategic Aim   
• To reach for diversity through respect,
  education, awareness, collaboration, and
  honesty 
• Operating Values
• To realize true diversity, we all must be
  committed to upholding the VHA Strategic Goals.
  The Diversity Advisory Board believes in
• Trust
• Respect
• Excellence
• Compassion
• Commitment

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MEMBERSHIP

• Watson, LindaCo-Chairperson
•  Hunter, JoyCo-Chairperson
• Rabb, DavidExecutive Assistant
• Cole, RosalynSpecial Iniatives
• Lee, David K.Native American Liaison
• Fraser, FrancineData OutcomesPublic Affiars
  Liaison

• Thompson, DeborahEmployment Advancement  of
  Women Liaison
• Ng, VincentPacific Islander   Asian American
  Liais
• Perez, GabrielHispanic Liaison
• Reese, RitaLogistics and Budget
• Richardson, Guy B.African American/Black Liaison
  
• Sandler, LawrenceDisabilities Liaison

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• 5-YEAR DIVERSITY INITIATIVE
• Creating a diverse work environment
• that takes full advantage of differences
• and similarities
• Requires a lot of focus, effort, and
• dedication.
• We believe we can make it happen!

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• July, 2002-DAB launched a five-year diversity
  campaign that focuses on the following areas

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• Respect- embracing diversity starts and ends with
  respect for differences.
• Education- changing hearts and minds is an
  ongoing educational process.
• Awareness- understanding the value of diversity
  includes an awareness of others and self.
• Collaboration- the hallmark of diversity is the
  ability to work together to create a community.
• Honesty- reaching for diversity requires us to
  own up to our own prejudices and stereotypes

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•  RESPECT
• Respect for individual differences, operational
  roles and functions
• Appreciation of other cultures and customs,
• Understanding of our own cultural history and the
  lessons that have brought us this far.  
• Awareness and sensitivity to individual abilities
  (both physical and mental) and appreciation of
  ethnic, racial, religious, gender, age, cultural
  differences, life choices, and work
  experiences.  
• Sensitivity to work-life balance issues of
  employees and the need for flexible work
  schedules.  

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• RESPECT
• (On an organizational level)
• Acknowledging the importance of every part of the
  organization that helps the system run smoothly
  and effectively
• Closely tied to equal opportunity and ensuring
  that diversity is reflected at every level of the
  organization
• Different thoughts, ideas, and aspirations are
  included as part of the decision-making process

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• Diversity Education 
• Driving force that will help us transform the way
  we do business.  
• Needs to occur during employee orientation, and
  throughout employees careers. 
• Closely related to managing and coping with
  organizational change
• Needs to be a required component of any
  leadership or mentoring program.
• Include a wide range of modalities that include
  seminars, in-services, formal and informal
  discussion groups, and the use of computer and
  web-based learning tools.

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• Awareness 
• Awareness
• how people and workgroups are similar, different,
  and unique
• own stereotypes, prejudices, and beliefs that
  hinder productive work relationships
• work climate to determine what supports or
  hinders diversity.
• Starts with self-assessment and at the
  organizational level
• cultural assessment or climate survey
• to gain a better perspective on how we perform
• how the work environment influences our behaviors
  and performance.  

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• Collaboration 
• Diversity at work-VAs organizational
  strength. 
• The hallmark of a winning team -Diverse people
  with diverse talents working together to achieve
  specific VA goals.
• To ensure VA maintains the competitive business
  edge
•  Our diversity must reflect the people we
  serve.  
• To resolve many challenges that we currently
  face
• r succession planning, recruitment and retention,
  employee moral, organizational effectiveness and
  innovation
• Human, Cultural and System diversity ---achieve
  positive outcomes across the organization.
• Creating supportive and nurturing relationships
  with people and organizations in our communities

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• Honesty
• Creating an environment in which everyone feels
  safe, respected, and supported starts and ends
  with honesty.   
• Honest with ourselves admitting when you are
  wrong.
• Recognizing how your own belief system may have
  been shaped by the history, family, community and
  era in which you were raised.
• Honesty is a leading leadership trait and is tied
  to courage.
• To challenge the status quo. 
• To do the right thing by facing a problem and not
  running away from it or burying it.
• To eliminate discrimination and promote equal
  opportunity.

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• Diversity Partnerships and Programs
• http//www.hacu.net/
• http//www.aihec.org/
• http//www.smart.net/pope/hbcu/hbculist.htm
• http//www.institutefordiversity.org/
• http//www.institutefordiversity.org/
• http//www.omhrc.gov/
• http//erc.msh.org/The_Managers_ERC

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• Past 1st Place USH Diversity Awards Program
  Winners
• 2004 George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical
  Center, Rocky, Mountain Minority Veterans Program
• 2003 Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical
  Center, Leading and Team Building in a Diverse
  Culture Diversity Awareness Program
• 2002 William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans
  Affairs Medical Center, Moving on Up Leadership
  Development Program.
• 2001 - New Jersey HealthCare System, Expanding
  Horizons/New Frontiers Mentoring Programs
• 1999 - Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
  Patient Focused Training Program
• 1996 - Washington Veterans Affairs Medical
  Center, Our Reflection of Success Program
• 1995 - Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
  VA Leadership Upward Expectation Management
  Development Program
• 1994 - Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical
  Center, Educational Opportunities for Career
  Development
• 1993 - Central Region, Medical Administration
  Service Pilot Program

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http//www1.va.gov/Diversity/page.cfm?pg4
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http//www1.va.gov/diversity/docs/VHADiversityPoli
cyRev.doc
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http//www1.va.gov/diversity/docs/DABCharter.doc