Unity Health Toronto named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers
Unity Health Toronto is one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2025.
The distinction, announced Tuesday, recognizes Unity Health Toronto as a national leader for its effort toward addressing racism and discrimination as an employer and as a health care provider. The work is essential as an organization serving one of the most diverse cities in the world, said Allison Needham, Director of Anti-Racism, Equity and Social Accountability at Unity Health.
“At Unity Health we recognize the proven importance of representation and diversity to supporting a thriving, innovative workforce and to achieving our mission of the best care experiences for all,” she said. “We are committed to our goal of being representative of the communities we serve.”
The recognition, published in a special magazine distributed in the Globe and Mail, goes to employers across Canada with exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs based on a rigorous selection process and criteria set by Mediacorp. Reasons for Unity Health’s selection can be found here.
Manson Locke, Vice President, People, and Chief Human Resources Officer said the work at Unity Health Toronto builds upon a legacy of its sites, which include St. Joseph’s Health Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital, and Providence Healthcare, plus a constellation of primary care and other community-based clinics spanning the city.
“It’s a base of strength for us that we have this Mission that was given to us 100 years ago by the Sisters of St. Joseph’s of Toronto. We were a door open to absolutely everybody, and we would strive to get into those parts of society where people are left behind. That’s something that translates very well to our modern efforts around equity and inclusion,” he said.
Those efforts expanded each year since the network formed in 2017 and began foundational work toward addressing barriers that prevent patients from receiving quality care and staff, physicians, learners, and volunteers from realizing their full potential.
This included the establishment of anti-racism as a strategic priority, with focus areas of combatting anti-Black racism and Indigenous health and reconciliation. In 2021, Unity Health established the Office of Anti-Racism, Equity and Social Accountability. Today, workforce priorities for the office include improving the experiences of Black staff, support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, accessibility efforts and improving representation.
In 2023, Roberta Pike joined Unity Health as the first Director of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships to build on the work of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Community Advisory Panel and support the organization’s ongoing efforts to advance Indigenous health and reconciliation.
In 2024, Unity Health became the first Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) hospital to set outcomes-based targets for Black representation among the organization’s senior leaders to increase accountability. This was one of several efforts to combat anti-Black racism outlined in President and CEO Dr. Tim Rutledge’s recent message to all staff, physicians and community members recognizing Black History Month.
“Unity Health continues to prioritize anti-racism and health equity strategically and operationally in the workplace and in the care environment,” Rutledge said. “We are not only focused on education, but also turning what we learn into action.”
In 2024, Unity Health launched a landmark equity-based mentorship program designed to provide opportunities to aspiring leaders within the organization. The focus is on recruiting mentors and mentees who self-identify as belonging to communities that experience barriers in leadership, including Black, Indigenous and racialized people, those in the 2SLGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities.
“We thought about putting a mentorship program on the ground that looked like everyone else’s mentorship program,” said Locke. “But then we asked ourselves, ‘What would mentorship look like if we adapted our program to build a more representational leadership team?’”
Faye Roberts, Manager of Volunteer Services at Unity Health, helped launch the five-month program in 2024, and became a mentor. “I was interested because it is an extension of all our hopes and dreams, and being able to connect with people who look, walk and talk like us, who had dreamed about taking the organization on a really important mission to ensure our values came to life,” she said.
She paired with Llijah Pearce, Registered Nurse in the Mental Health and Addictions Program at St. Michael’s Hospital.
“I think a lot of people need direction and don’t know how to get to the next place, or even what the next place is,” he said. “This is a great step towards allowing people to maybe take a closer look, while the leaders, such as Faye, are sharing their experiences. What it means to be a leader, what it looks like, the practicalities of being employed at those levels, so that people can actually make an informed decision. I think it’s so important to break down those walls, break down those barriers and allow people to dream a little bit bigger, because they can see what’s next and what they can strive towards.”
The program expanded from 22 staff participants in its first year to a target of 40 in 2025.
Read more about why Unity Health Toronto was selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers here.