The new chief executive of radiology provider Envision Healthcare is committing to change his company’s practices after several recent racially charged incidents across the U.S.
Jim Rechtin said such actions will include “reinvigorating” the Nashville physician firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and creating a plan within the next 60 days to promote change in its service areas. Envision is also launching a quality program within the next three months to address racial disparities in care.
“Our work starts close to home. Racism is not an abstract thing that happens to someone else in a distant city on the television. It occurs every day in our own work environments,” Rechtin wrote in a June 4 letter to employees. “Every day, someone on our team, in one of our facilities somewhere around the country, is forced to deal with insensitive comments or actions rooted in prejudice. This must stop.”
He specifically references the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, calling the latter’s death “senseless and unjust” and “not an isolated incident.” “It is a pattern. And it is unacceptable,” he added.
In addition, the new chief executive—who joined the firm in February—said they’re providing support to team members impacted by current events, and they’re soliciting input on the type of assistance needed.
“Change takes time, which is why we must move quickly and with energy,” he concluded. “Change also requires broad based engagement, which is why you will be hearing more from us on this topic over the coming weeks, months and years.”
Investor-owned Envision is one of the country’s largest multispecialty, facility-based provider groups, leading a team of more than 900 radiologists, along with numerous other provider types. You can read the full letter here.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.