Celebrating Pride Month 2023: Holly Blunkall
June is Pride Month! Compass Group is demonstrating strength in solidarity, promoting allyship and celebrating our associates from across our family of businesses. First up is Holly Blunkall, Regional NFS Support Director for Morrison Healthcare. “When we know better, we do better in this world!” declares Holly, who offers solid advice on strength in solidarity.
“First and foremost, it’s important for all associates to ensure they are helping to create a Psychologically Safe environment for everyone they work with or encounter. This is a critical focus area that we all should be aware of as fellow humans in this world.
“Second, educate yourself and practice using intentional inclusive language in all communications and interactions. This could look and sound like recognizing and sharing personal pronouns, not assuming anyone’s gender identity, and simply changing your greeting on calls/emails from ‘Hey you guys . . . to something more inclusive like ‘Hey y’all’ or ‘Hi team/family/ friends/colleagues . . .’
“Changing our standard vernacular to become more inclusive and mitigating words or actions that may be causing harm to others. Also, looking at how some of our learned observations of folks may be an effect of unconscious bias. These are all great places for reflection on changing the way we support and interact with folks. Our Diversity and Inclusion Action Council’s monthly toolkits and our Inclusion Ambassador Program are great resources for folks to learn more.
“I travel 90 miles to Sacramento to specifically get my specialized care at UC Davis Medical Center. Healthcare access and equity is a problem nationwide; and specialized inclusive healthcare for LGBTQIA+ folks is sometimes very hard to come by; but it doesn’t have to be that way. Besides having a world-class healthcare program, UC Davis does a great job being terrific allies. One of their core values is providing an equitable and inclusive healthcare program for all humans.
“Staff train on a variety of inclusive care practices and use badge buddies and badge pins for a visual representation of allyship and specialized training for all to see. They have signs posted throughout their facilities sharing this philosophy of inclusive care and inviting folks to learn more. They have patient questionnaires in the check-in process that allow you the opportunity to state your preferred name, your pronouns, preferred language and so on (basically anything you can share to help them provide more personalized, inclusive care).
“You are truly treated as a whole person and the staff work hard to not only acknowledge your preferences, but to make sure they do everything in their power to make you feel comfortable, welcomed and included in your health care plan. It’s truly a breath of fresh air and I am incredibly lucky to have these folks on my healthcare team.”
Thank you, Holly, for celebrating Pride Month with Compass!