Our departmental and institutional values are such that we openly denounce and take a stand against displays of ignorant intolerance, hate, or bigotry. They are hurtful to experience and can have a deep and threatening impact on many in this country, including our colleagues and patients. The demonstrations of intolerance that we have all witnessed are meant to incite fear and to cause divide. I (Brandon) am a proud multiracial child of an immigrant parent and grandparents who came to America on asylum to work as farm-hands my family and my experience with explicit and implicit forms of racism has motivated me to pursue a path dedicated to the service of those in need and to act as a voice against hate and bigotry. I (Daphne) am the child of two Holocaust survivors who lost their entire families to the evils of the Nazis and, as such, I have made it central to my life to impart values of inclusion, openness, and mutual-respect. We reflected on how expressions of rancor and acrimony have affected each of us personally and how they might affect our colleagues and patients. Wanda McClain, MPA, Vice President, Community Health and Health Equity, Co-chair Brigham Health Social Justice and Equity Task Forceīrandon and I found ourselves conversing this weekend about how sad we feel about the general tenor of discourse in our country today. I will continue, as a leader dedicated to promoting health equity, to work with others at BWH to ensure we live out our mission and values within the Brigham and within our communities. We must be unequivocal in speaking out against hate and commit ourselves to living up to the ideals that have made this country a beacon of hope and opportunity for many. Our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters have suffered, fought and died to advance and protect these values. The values and aspirations of our country are equality, liberty and the protection of basic human rights. Bigotry, racism, discrimination, anti-Semitism, sexism and bias against immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community are an affront to our humanity-we must not tolerate them. Hate, in all its ugly forms, is wrong-we must speak out against it. This is not values-neutral for me as an African-American woman. Betsy Nabel, MD, President, Brigham HealthĪs the vice president for Community Health and Health Equity and as a co-chair of the Brigham Health Social Justice and Equity Task Force, I am firmly committed to standing on the side of what is morally right. Together, we must continue to follow our moral compass and work in unity to deliver on our precious mission for the benefit of our patients, their families, and one another. While no one can predict the future, I suspect we will continue to be challenged by events happening in the world around us. Racism, hatred and intolerance have no place at the Brigham. Brigham and Women’s Hospital will continue to be a safe, welcoming place for all who come through our doors. I want to be very clear that we will not allow anyone or anything to affect who we are – our mission, vision or values – or what we stand for. I have the privilege of leading an organization that is guided by its moral compass. It is what grounds us, particularly in challenging times. To me, a moral compass is an internalized set of values that guide us ethically – in the decisions we make and in how we conduct ourselves – every day. As events unfolded across our great nation in recent months, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the concept of a moral compass.
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