Diversity Month at WakeMed

This month, WakeMed celebrates Diversity & Inclusion Awareness Month, a time to recognize and honor our differences while helping our employees build the cultural competencies necessary for a culture of inclusion. To meet and exceed the needs of our diverse patient population, we recognize the importance of cultural competence and that we must continue exploring and learning about cultures that are different from our own. At WakeMed, we embrace our differences as they make us a stronger, more relevant health care organization that is better equipped to serve our entire community.

Our staff are invited this month to participate in a variety of different classes, presentations and discussions meant to help build cultural competence and awareness. Additionally, our hospital cafeterias are serving cuisines from around the world, and many employees have taken part in potluck luncheons allowing them to bring in and discuss a favorite dish that represents their heritage. Countries represented include India, Ireland, the Philippines, Ghana, Iran, Puerto Rico, Spain, Mexico, Germany and the United States.  And dishes that employees have been enjoying together include Jewish noodle pudding, Irish brown bread, chicken adobo, fried yams, guava pastries, guava paste, plantain chips, arroz con gandules, tembleque, spanakopita, baklava, Moroccan chicken, beef skewers, Indian noodles with vegetables and chutney, and fried chicken.

Now that your stomach is growling, learn more below about the diversity of the WakeMed workforce and the patients we serve.

Did You Know?

• The WakeMed workforce is 67 percent Caucasian, 23 percent African American, 5 percent Asian and 3.5 percent Hispanic or Latino. 
• Thirty-two percent of WakeMed employees are Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964); one percent were born before 1945.
• We have a very diverse patient population. Aside from English, the most commonly spoken languages are Spanish, Arabic and sign language.
• Thirty-nine percent of WakeMed employees are Generation X (born between 1965 and 1977) and 27 percent are Millenials (born between 1978 and 1990).
• And 80.5 percent of our employees are female; 19.5 percent are male.