b'We will be the BEST health care workplace, living our values and commitments in all that we do.At Cone Health, we are building an inclusive culture that values our differences and ensures that our team members feel safe and connected to each other and to our organizational values.~Kenneth J. Rempher, PhD, RN, MBA, CENP, EVP, Acute Care Services/Hospitals and Chief Nurse Executive Diversity, Equity and InclusionResearch shows that inclusive organizations have higher employee engagement and are better at fostering innovation by encouraging diverse points of view. At Cone Health, we are committed to ensuring that all employees and patients feel respected, accepted, valued and empowered. We will not rest until diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) become a part of who we are, woven into our fabric of caring and well-being.Kiva Elliott, our vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, leads and promotes efforts that advance this imperative at Cone Health. Kiva is also leading the creation of a strategic plan for DEI that will serve as the framework to guide and enable Cone Health to focus on four pillars: People, Workplace, Community and Supplier Diversity.Establishing this framework began in 2019 with gathering data fromKiva ElliottCone Health team members who participated in a series of Listening Sessions and confidentialsurveys. Other accomplishments include:A redesign of our Employee Network groups (Dive-In Groups)to include new guidelines and the addition of a senior executiveambassador to each group;The alignment of our community partnerships with our ConeHealth strategic priorities while ensuring we continue to meet community needs; andThe formation of an executive steering committee for culture and inclusion.As we strive always to be right here with our team members, patients and our communities, we will lead with empathy, curiosity and courage, and diversity, equity and inclusion will remain our strength and our opportunity. 1718'