Local healthcare professionals can expect to improve their workplaces and gain better access to services with the launch of MOSAIC’s ‘I Will, You Will, We Will’ project and web page.
The project is now live, following its announcement on March 13 to help healthcare organizations better prepare workers with racial equity, diversity and inclusion training.
With funding by the Hudson’s Bay Foundation, the project works toward reducing systemic barriers for healthcare workers belonging to culturally diverse backgrounds who are either employed or aspiring to work in the healthcare sector. Free education is provided to healthcare professionals based in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley about their role in creating inclusive spaces.
“The work of MOSAIC has been instrumental in educating newcomers and Canadians on the effects of racism, while providing critical skills and knowledge to combat racism,” said Bradyn Parisian, VP Indigenous Reconciliation, DE&I and Hudson’s Bay Foundation. “This work deeply aligns with and upholds the three pillars outlined in Hudson’s Bay Foundation Charter for Change, and we are proud to continue our support of MOSAIC through the launch of their I Will, You Will, We Will project.”
Sandhya Ghai, MOSAIC Manager of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, said the COVID-19 pandemic saw an exacerbated rate of hate crimes and racism in communities across Canada, which subsequently caused healthcare institutions to experience increased pressure “never witnessed before.”
“As the name implies, the I Will You Will We Will project is a sincere reminder to healthcare professionals that combatting racism and creating an inclusive environment is an individual as well as a collective undertaking,” Ghai said. “Educating themselves on how various levels of racism manifest in healthcare and practicing cultural humility are the very first steps they can take towards recognizing and questioning systemic inequities to thoughtfully serve our diverse communities.”
MOSAIC’s federal pre-budget consultation recommendations, released in February 2023, highlighted individuals of ethno-cultural backgrounds being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report recommended upscaling services to better serve those communities.
“In our increasingly multicultural society, cultural awareness and safety is an integral component in many health care interactions,” noted Olga Stachova, MOSAIC CEO in the pre-budget recommendations letter. “Members of immigrant, refugee, ethno-cultural and racialized communities experience social determinants of health that are shaped by in-equalities related to housing, education, employment and linguistic barriers.”
For more information on the ‘I Will, You Will, We Will’ project and registration, click here.
