Diversity & Inclusion at Covenant Health

At Covenant Health, diversity and inclusion is not just an initiative or campaign, but part of who we are. As an employer of choice, we strive to create workplaces and care environments that make us all feel safe, valued and able to reach our full potential. We believe there is strength in our differences and want to continuously embrace the uniqueness of our teams and those we serve.

Diversity and inclusion are an integral part of honouring our Catholic roots, mission, vision and values, which call us to serve and respect people of all cultures, faiths and circumstances. Guided by our Diversity & Inclusion work plan, we strive to continuously deepen our commitment to fostering environments that celebrate diversity and are safe, inclusive, comforting and welcoming for all.

Our commitment

As an organization, we are committed to honouring the individual qualities of our teams and those we serve, who represent a rich mosaic of cultures, faiths, traditions and backgrounds. Together, we will deepen and promote inclusive practices across Covenant Health through measurable initiatives aimed at developing and sustaining safe and inclusive environments.

We know that issues around racism, unconscious bias, stereotyping, prejudice and privilege exist at Covenant Health and have caused hurt and inequality. As an organization, Covenant Health is committed to continuously listening so that we can incorporate learnings into our ongoing work to foster diverse and inclusive environments.

LGBTQ2S+
At Covenant we believe deeply in the value and dignity of every human life and are dedicated to serving people from all backgrounds, faiths and contexts, including sexual orientation and gender identity. We are fully committed to providing safe, high-quality, respectful care through an inclusive, open, welcoming, and equitable environment for our teams and those we serve. This commitment is even more important for any person – staff, physician, volunteer, patient, resident or family member – who faces discrimination or is marginalized in any manner.

Our commitment includes ensuring members of our LGBTQ2S+ community receive respectful, equitable, compassionate care and service, free from discrimination and prejudice. We have heard that some individuals may not always feel safe because of who they are. We are committed to collaborating with the LGBTQ2S+ community to listen and learn to better understand their experiences and address health disparities.

Programs & initiatives

Diversity & Inclusion Council
Covenant Health’s Diversity & Inclusion Council is comprised of staff, leaders and community partners who collaborate to foster more inclusive environments at Covenant Health. Our Council members meet regularly to implement and promote various initiatives that fall under our Diversity & Inclusion Work Plan.

Indigenous advocacy
Staff education: Through a collaborative arrangement with Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health has been granted access to a suite of eight (8) modules on Indigenous Awareness and Sensitivity to an overwhelmingly positive response from staff and physicians. In the spirit of reconciliation Covenant Health strongly encourages staff, volunteers, and physicians to complete, at minimum, the introductory module of this suite. It provides important information regarding Indigenous Peoples' history, social determinants of health, and strategies to help increase culturally safe care when caring for this population. It is one way in which Covenant Health responds to the Calls to Action identified under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada report, in providing cultural competency training for all health care professions.

Indigenous Advisory Body: This committee is made of up Indigenous staff, physicians and volunteers. Covenant is continuously welcoming new members knowing that engaging Indigenous communities and establishing long-term positive connections is a crucial component of our Diversity and Inclusion Framework. Covenant believes in engaging the expertise, experience and perspectives of our team members in order to advance this work. Objectives include:

Developing cultural awareness and understanding in our teams and the organization related to Indigenous peoples;
Establishing and maintaining positive connections to Indigenous communities; and
Recognizing and embracing traditional Indigenous healing practices.

Interpretive services
Communication is the foundation of safe, quality healthcare, and involving patients and residents in conversations about their health and wellness is paramount to the patient- and resident-centred care Covenant Health provides. We offer interpretive services to help reduce language barriers for patients, residents and families who have limited English proficiency, prefer to communicate in another language, or who communicate by American Sign Language. Our contracted interpreters are trained to provide accurate, unbiased and confidential interpretation in person, over the phone and through video conferencing.

Stories

Covenant Health would like to acknowledge that what we refer to as Alberta is the traditional ancestral territory of a diversity of Indigenous peoples and home to Treaty 6, 7, and 8. We honor the Blackfoot Confederacy – Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika, the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stoney Nakoda, the Tsuu T’ina Nation and the Métis People of Alberta. This includes the Métis Settlements and the Six Regions of the Métis Nation of Alberta within the historical Northwest Métis Homeland. We recognize and give thanks to the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations, all who continue to grace these lands, and all future generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting.