Diversity and Inclusion for such a time as this… a conversation with Renita Robinson

by Devon Christianson, Envision board member “Have the tough conversations; stretch toward what seems out of reach.” That’s the advice of Prevea Health’s new Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, Renita Robinson. You might remember this visionary change agent as the Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA of Greater Green Bay. She’s moved into healthcare leadership at this critical “COVID moment,” helping Prevea learn what it can from tough times and shape the best possible future for itself and the community.

“We ground everything in our mission: to care for people with pride, passion and respect. Our vision is to be the best place to get and give care,” she explained. “From there we look at data and trends. The data is screaming at us, and it doesn’t lie.” One thing the data tells Robinson is that businesses that are more diverse are more profitable. “The staff is happier, the bottom line is healthier, and the organization thrives,” she explained. Hospitals are no different, she said. A key component of caring well for patients is having input from people of diverse cultures and experiences inform your thinking and practices. “The pandemic has taught us to pivot,” Robinson said, “to be innovative, to create new partnerships so we can hear the voices that have been ignored for too long.” Having spent 30+ years in various roles serving women, children and students, she has seen the conversation change in Green Bay. “When I came here a few years ago, I thought the Green Bay Packers were 20 years ahead of their time and the community was 20 years behind. But I did see growing momentum for conversations about how racial inequality was impacting our community.” According to Renita, this is a time of many hopeful opportunities. Many social service organizations and healthcare systems are connecting around health equity concerns. With the onslaught of COVID-19, Prevea made forward facing decisions by creating a nationally recognized community vaccination clinic on the campus of UWGB. And they had to find ways to take the vaccine on the road. They needed to mobilize human resources, sharpen processes, and reach marginalized populations to increase access to immunizations. The combination of racial tensions and health disparities uncovered during the pandemic created good conditions for change. Robinson says Prevea and its executive team had been in discussions for some time about holding themselves accountable to their commitment regarding inclusion and health equity. They created this new full time vice president position at a level in the organization that could impact change on a broad scale and have real influence at the policy level. “You can’t be on the opposite side of change for very long if you want to survive,” she explained. Prevea understands that the future of good medicine will involve an integrated approach by which the social determinants of health are incorporated into primary care. Renita pointed out that Prevea is using education to prepare future physicians and social workers to support health fields for changing demographics. These include offering internships and incorporating health equity modules into its family medicine residency curriculum. Specifically: • Health Disparity Prevention Internships at Prevea • Formal health equity content in its standard residency curriculum • Updating recruitment and hiring practices to attract racially diverse professionals for vital roles in healthcare • Development of new, unexpected partnerships with industries outside of healthcare to broaden Prevea’s reach and thinking • Agency-wide Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) training There is a business case to be made for bringing and keeping diverse people in our community, Robinson says. More diverse businesses are more likely to thrive. If we don’t move in this direction, all of our community will suffer. We must attract the talent we need and be competitive, or we will not be prepared for the next pandemic – or other life-altering change – that is around the corner. Through collaborations with longstanding community efforts, Prevea is positioned now to set the stage for impact on social determinants of health and a needed redress of health equity in Wisconsin. In this role, Renita brings to Prevea a history of dedication to education and training on a variety of social justice subjects. She is a qualified administrator of the IDI; is a certified ToP Facilitator; has worked as a licensed graduate social worker (LGSW) and a teacher of English and social studies, and she’s helped secondary school systems and university departments develop curriculum, policy and programs to address equity issues and the needs of marginalized populations. She’s been an NCAA National Champion, an Olympic Trials Exhibition winner, named a Co-Teacher of the Year by Boston’s Anti-Defamation League, and is now a Minnesota Doctoral Candidate in Teaching and Learning. Robinson is a mother and grandmother and is excited to be at Prevea for such a time as this!