Today, on the first day of Black History Month, I want to share a message about our own history, connect to our present, and offer a few thoughts about our path forward.

In 1927, Ivy Lucille de Leon, born in Jamaica in 1900, became the first Black nurse to graduate from the St. Michael’s Hospital School of Nursing. We don’t know much about Ivy, including what she did after she left St. Michael’s, but many thanks to our Library Services for finding this information in our archives.

Ivy’s trailblazing journey is remarkable when we consider the hurdles that she – and many other Black Canadians working in health care at the time – had to overcome. In 1927, Black students were typically prohibited from enrolling in Canadian nursing programs and Black nurses were barred from employment at Ontario hospitals. It wasn’t until the late 1940s and early 1950s that these restrictions were lifted, following considerable pressure from community organizations.

The past teaches us about the present. It can also help us find a better future.

The long history of segregation and racism in Canada’s health-care system, and in our broader society, has contributed to ongoing anti-Black racism in health-care institutions like our own. On a daily basis, Black health-care workers provide exceptional care to Canadians, despite forces actively working against them. At Unity Health, Black staff, physicians and learners are critical to providing the best care experiences for our patients and residents. Yet, we should all be aware that Black staff, physicians and learners in our own organization face ongoing overt and systemic racism. I have spoken with Black staff who have told me about the overt racism they have experienced in interactions with patients and colleagues. And, I am aware that systemic racism is the root cause of why we have so few Black leaders and physicians at Unity Health.

In 2020, Unity Health established anti-racism as a formal strategic priority and committed to tackling racism more directly than we’ve done in the past. Here are some tangible steps that we’re taking to improve the experiences that Black people have in our organization. 

  • In 2021 we established two strategic objectives targeted at: 1) measuring and improving the care experience of Black patients and 2) increasing the representation of Black physicians and leaders across Unity Health. An equitable hiring toolkit has also been developed as a meaningful first step in support of this second objective. 
  • We held externally facilitated chats for Black staff, physicians, midwives, learners and volunteers in the fall of 2020 to better understand the experiences of Black people working at Unity Health. We are grateful for the many Black staff, physicians, midwives, learners and volunteers who came forward to educate us on their experience as well as those who have come together in meetings to lead and guide the work and next steps.  
  • At the end of January, we initiated the soft launch of a Black affinity group – also known as a community of inclusion or employee resource group. The group is centred around creating affirming spaces for Black staff to share their experiences in a safe environment and improve their workplace experience through targeted opportunities to promote Black flourishing and inclusive excellence within our network.

During Black History Month, and always, I encourage staff, physicians and learners who aren’t Black to take the time to listen to Black voices and reflect on the racism and injustices committed against Black people, both past and present. This month – and every month – is an important opportunity to celebrate and honour the many important contributions of Black Canadians to our country, and to health care specifically. Just last month, for example, one of our physicians, Dr. Nav Persaud, co-authored an article about Dr. Alexander Augusta, who received his medical training and practiced in Toronto between 1853 and 1863, before continuing his career in the United States.

I hope that you’ll join me in honouring the legacy of Black Canadians and demonstrating our collective commitment to combatting anti-Black racism both within Unity Health and beyond.

Sincerely,

Tim Rutledge
President and CEO
Unity Health Toronto