Growing Our DEIB Impact
January 23, 2024
Our DEI group has evolved since our last update with an enhanced name, DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), which better fits our vision, initiatives, and a refreshed mission statement. We continue to be fully committed and are excited to share where the team has added value over the past year and what to look forward to in 2024.
The Vetcor DEIB Team Mission
The DEIB team’s mission is to provide supportive programs and resources to ensure a sense of safety and belonging for all Vetcor team members. This team will advise senior leadership, work with local teams, and influence policies for the betterment of our culture and work environment.
Looking Back on 2023
In 2023, the DEIB team achieved significant milestones alongside the introduction of a new mission statement. One notable accomplishment was developing a language translation strategy and establishing a partnership to implement it. Overcoming the challenge of enabling all our hospitals to communicate with Spanish-speaking clients, even in the absence of an on-site translator, required careful planning with our translation partner and ongoing collaboration. With this initiative in place, along with the continued partnership with Vetspacito, substantial progress is being made in meeting this communication need.
Individuals within the DEIB group have demonstrated a strong commitment to learning and development, earning various certifications. Additionally, we now offer RACE-approved BlendVet and Patterson courses on Vetcor University, our internal learning platform, accessible to all Team Vetcor members. The inclusion of DEIB in the Vetcor Leadership Model underscores the significance of diversity at all organizational levels.
Our network of over 850 hospitals and four service centers played a pivotal role in advancing our DEIB initiatives throughout 2023. Highlights of the year include:
- Encouraging hospitals to celebrate diversity in ways that resonate with their local communities, with marketing support provided to enhance these celebrations.
- Supporting multiple PRIDE celebrations across our Service Center locations and hospitals nationwide.
- Introducing a new Youth Engagement Handbook to empower leaders working with local youth groups and foster interest in veterinary careers, particularly among disadvantaged groups.
- Establishing a communications calendar for 2024, with a continued focus on providing hospitals with valuable resources to celebrate diversity.
- Expanding access to employee benefits in 2023 to intentionally include benefits for Registered Domestic Partners.
- Supporting displays of identity in communication, including preferred pronouns and profile images on platforms like Slack and Google.
These initiatives collectively reflect our dedication to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within Vetcor.
What is to come in 2024
On top of building out translation services, we are working on making our spaces accessible to all with the support of our facilities team and exploring the Ava app for our hearing-disabled customers.
Education within Team Vetcor will grow beyond the current Vetcor University courses to include other online programs, accessible on-demand resources, and tailored offerings for onboarding, leadership development, and voluntary education.
Community Outreach for our hospitals will continue to grow with targeted support from the DEIB team. We will also build on our celebration support to include a marketing calendar and resources for hospitals, social media strategy, and demonstrating diversity in our hospitals through visible signs.
The dedicated leaders who are a part of the DEIB group continue to spearhead diversity initiatives across our network, in the veterinary industry, and out in the community. We appreciate candid feedback and dialogue—please reach out to diversitymatters@vetcor.com with any comments or questions. From the bottom of our hearts, we support each and every one of you.
