LifePoint family,
My heart and mind are heavy as I write this and reflect on the loss of human life, including the recent death of George Floyd and many others, and the response to these tragedies over the last several days. It is difficult to comprehend – and I know that I will never fully understand the pain that so many people, including many of you, have experienced. But I want to share a simple message – you are valued.
LifePoint’s mission, vision, core values and High Five Guiding Principles anchor our company. It is my expectation that each of our employees, patients, providers and visitors experiences our core values – of which inclusion is paramount – during each and every interaction within our facilities. Anything less is unacceptable. Racism and discrimination in any form is not tolerated.
The deep divisions within our country that have led to these protests are heartbreaking to me. But what I have witnessed from all of you over the past three months as we have fought this pandemic gives me hope.
Last week, I visited two of our hospitals for my first visit out to the field since the onset of COVID-19. I was struck that the resounding takeaway was how this situation has brought our teams together. Teams within one department, across multiple departments, across multiple hospitals – in the face of adversity, we are working together to think differently and unite around common goals: protect our patients, protect our community and protect each other. What I am hopeful for is that each of us can learn from our response to this pandemic and see that we are capable of respecting each other, valuing each other’s contributions and uniting together. And when we do, we are stronger.
With that being said, I am not naïve to think that our own people and communities are isolated from the pain and turmoil of racism and discrimination. Please know you are not alone. I encourage any of our employees who need support to use the free resources available through our Employee Assistance Program.
Let us all continue to respect and value each other, unite around our mission and serve our communities.
Sincerely,
David Dill
