What comes after strategy: Moving beyond statements and open letters – An analysis of three Toronto hospitals’ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) plans

Abstract

IntroductionThe murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020 forced institutions to publicly acknowledge systemic racism. In the Canadian healthcare sector, some hospitals used this pivotal moment to create strategic equity plans to address anti-Black racism and ongoing health inequities.MethodsThrough a case study approach, we selected three hospitals in Toronto, Canada and analysed their most recent publicly available diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategic plans.ResultsAll three hospitals released new DEI strategies following 2020 that covered similar grounds: incorporating DEI into HR practices, cultural adaptations of services, race-based data collection and investments in training. While two out of three hospitals reported progress on their anti-Black racism commitments, specific actions to be taken and metrics to monitor and track progress varied.ConclusionsDEI plans analysed are set to reach maturity as early as 2023 and as late as 2025. We provide high level recommendations to guide this work beyond these timelines. Antiracism reform and reconciliation is not a one-time event, but requires thoughtful planning, collaboration with communities, investment in labour (ie, resources and staff), reflection and deep reckoning.