Hartford HealthCare Colleagues Celebrate Black History Month

“I want to recognize Hartford HealthCare, for actually making diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as a part of our mission,” declared Okey Agba, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Sponsor of the Black and African American Colleague Resource Group (BAA CRG) at Hartford HealthCare – looking back on a evening of celebrating diverse cultures.

On Friday, February 23rd, 2024, the BAA CRG at Hartford HealthCare hosted a Black History Month event: “Celebrate Our Diverse Cultures.” With nearly 50 people in attendance at this event, the BAA CRG sought out to recognize the efforts being made across the system to improve the health and healing of all – while simultaneously fostering a positive working environment for each of its colleagues. The program started with a heart-pumping performance by the Hartford’s Proud Drill, Drum, and Dance Corps, and was followed by supplementing remarks by Maxien Robinson-Lewin & Kathie Marius, both Co-Chairs of the Community Outreach Committee of the BAA CRG.

The event included several special performances, including the singing of Lift Every Voice and Sing (Black National Anthem) by Nekita Waller; a host of musical selections from saxophonist Derrick Roberts; and a spoken word segment performed by T’Challa Williams. In addition to these performances, Elisabeth Michel, Manager of Equity Systems Transformation offered sentiments to bring colleagues together, to continue making great strides in our society – celebrating the significance of the work being done in health equity, reflecting on the launch of the Center for Equity at Hartford HealthCare, which became official in October of 2023. Caleb Green, Manager of Content Development, presented data from all of the social media activations that were done during Black History Month, calling out the need to amplify black voices within the system who help to make healthcare in the state more accessible, affordable, equitable, and excellent for our patients and communities.

“Celebrate Diverse Cultures” was held at Heublein Hall, located in the Education and Resource Center (ERC) on the campus of Hartford Hospital. The event was planned and coordinated by the BAA CRG, and members of each of the other Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs) within the system, including Somos (Hispanic/Latinx), Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), and LGBTQ+ were all invited to celebrate the impact of diversity within the realm of healthcare. The CRGs were launched in the summer of 2020, and altogether have over 400 active colleagues, who seek a place of collaboration, networking, and teambuilding across Hartford HealthCare.

The BAA CRG hopes to continue this effort annually, to bring colleagues together to celebrate the importance of culture throughout the continuum of care, and beyond.