Penn State Health recognizes National Employee Resource Group Day on Nov. 17

Celebrate National Employee Resource Group Day on Friday, Nov. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Swing by our Penn State Health hospital cafés for a free treat and some cool swag. Meet members of the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and learn about our Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs).

The BERGs at Penn State Health play a crucial role in advancing our diversity and inclusion goals by creating a welcoming workplace culture for employees from different backgrounds. They also serve as a foundation for success, helping employees contribute to our health system’s mission and organizational goals.

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center established its first BERG in 2010 for LGBTQ+ employees. Since then, the health system has expanded the number of BERGs to include six unique groups at each of its four regions (Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin and Lancaster counties). The 24 groups represent various aspects of diversity, including disability, interfaith, multicultural, LGBTQ+, military/veteran and next-gen populations. The military/veteran group also has a fifth group in Lebanon County.

In addition to our BERGs, Penn State Health has established the Network for Under-represented Residents and Fellows, the Black Physician and Professional Staff Association, the Hispanic Professional Association, and the International/Foreign Born Professionals Network to support diverse medical professionals. Plans are in progress to establish an Asian Physician and Professional Staff Association.

Interested in joining a BERG? Click here.

For more information about BERGs, contact Jude McCrea, program manager for diverse employee engagement, at jmccrea1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu or 717-531-3088.

Employees will receive more information about how to ask patients for their pronouns, as well as how to include this information in the patient EMR, in a future update.

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