As we enter Black History Month, we have an important opportunity to reflect on the legacy and leadership contributions of Black Canadians to our society, our field, and our shared mission to provide compassionate, high-quality care to all in need. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the work to be done in addressing the deep-rooted challenges of racism and inequity, particularly anti-Black racism, in healthcare and beyond.

Unity Health continues to prioritize anti-racism and health equity strategically and operationally in the workplace and in the care environment. We have made significant strides in our commitments to anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, and equity and it remains a critical part of the organization’s strategic objectives. We are not only focused on education, but also turning what we learn into action.

The Black population in Canada is diverse and growing. Within our health centers and our cities, diversity is fact, but equity requires intentional choice to commit and to take action. It’s vital that we continuously engage in conversations about anti-Black racism, reflect on our biases and take actions to mitigate them, challenge the systems that perpetuate inequity, and empower each other to make lasting change. As a healthcare institution, we have a unique responsibility to not only bring holistic healing to individuals, but also to heal the disparities that affect the communities we serve.

Today, as we mark the start of Black History Month, I’d like to provide an update on our efforts to combat anti-Black racism this past year, and where our efforts came up short and require more work.

What we accomplished in 2024

  • Became the first Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) hospital to set an outcomes based target for Black representation among senior leaders in the organization to increase accountability
  • Launched LIFT (Leading Inclusive Futures Together) youth mentorship program to inspire and support Black, Indigenous and racialized high school students to pursue careers in medicine. The program saw 50 per cent Black student participation.
  • Hosted a Black Health Panel with expert panelists from Unity Health and the community on approaches to addressing and supporting improvements in Black health with about 120 participants.
  • Hosted Imposter Experience workshops and coaching series for all racialized staff, led by Unity Health’s Black Staff Affinity Group, with nearly 60 per cent of participants being Black staff.
  • Published a research paper on the “Let’s Talk about Race” virtual reality (VR) modules, a collaboration between the Anti-Racism, Equity and Social Accountability and Simulation Program teams.
  • Began our first exploratory look at care experience and race and how to use race-based data safely through a pilot looking at the experience of Black patients in General Internal Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital

Where we came up short

Last year, we hoped to develop and roll out an anti-racism policy and framework to support our actions and commitments towards an anti-racist organization. While this work continued in 2024, the introduction of Unity Health’s new electronic patient record (EPR) system required an all-hands-on-deck approach, delaying the co-development of this policy. We will resume this work in 2025.

With the introduction of our new EPR system, we are mindful that while race-based data can be used to support the provision of equitable and culturally responsive care to racialized groups, it also has the ability to harm individuals and communities if not used, collected or governed well. In 2025, we will continue to explore avenues to equitably monitor and collect race-based data to identify and address racism in care.

Concrete actions Unity Health will take in 2025:

  • Increase our 2025 target for Black representation amongst senior leaders.
  • Create a data governance framework and policy for race-based data collection.
  • Continue to better understand and address Black perinatal health outcomes at Unity Health.
  • Hire a Chair in Anti-Racism and Health Equity, with expertise in anti-Black racism, to help drive knowledge translation and innovation in solutions to better address, identify, and eliminate racism within healthcare.
  • Collaborate with Wanasah, a non-profit mental health agency addressing mental health needs of Black youth and their families in Regent Park and neighbouring areas, to improve access to psychiatric assessment and follow up, as well as culturally adapted dialectical behavior therapy.
  • Collaborate with Black Youth Help Line, a non-profit crisis telephone line, to build clinical pathways to improve access to outpatient psychiatric services for Black youth and their families.

Unity Health will also continue to hold the organization accountable to addressing anti-Black racism through internal reporting semi-annually.

Concrete actions for individuals

Here are some ways that you can honour the achievements of Black communities and expand your understanding of anti-Black racism:

  1. Read the Ontario Health Black Health Plan to learn how Ontario is responding to systemic health inequities.
  2. Attend a Black History Month event in the community. If you’re in Toronto, please consider:
  3. Read about the experiences of Black staff and physicians at Unity Health in stories on our website and social media channels.

Let’s keep the momentum going. Take a moment this month to ask yourselves: What actions can I take every day to create a more inclusive environment across our network? How can I contribute to eliminating the barriers that too often impact the Black patients, families, and colleagues we serve?

Together, we can build a culture of anti-racism and equity that extends far beyond February. Thank you for your dedication, commitment to learning, and efforts in advancing this work.

Sincerely,

Tim Rutledge
President and CEO
Unity Health Toronto