Dear Steward Colleague,
These are troubled times.
The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the health and well-being of individuals and families across our nation and the world. The economic recession as a result of the pandemic has decimated communities and frayed the financial security of families far and wide.
And now, the outpouring of outrage, grief, and confusion following the tragic and unnecessary death of George Floyd spans geography, age, race, gender and ethnicity. Like many of you, I understand the anger and feel a personal loss in grieving for a man I never met. The moment is compounded because I know that what happened to George Floyd – and what happened to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and too many others before -- could have happened to me, or to any other person of color.
During this deep reflection amid such deep turmoil, how do we find the way forward? I believe it will come one day at a time, and in part through the work we are privileged to do. As a community of healers, we are trained to recognize when patients under our care are hurting, and then do all we can to bring comfort.
I have known this company longer than most, serving as one of the founding executive committee board members until I joined Steward full time as EVP & Chief Strategy Officer. Steward Health Care has always been an organization of purpose, built on a promise to serve and care for all patients, regardless of race, religion, color, creed, or sexual orientation.
We are an organization committed to this noble and heroic aspiration, champions of equality, diversity and inclusion. In the days ahead let us redouble our commitment to eliminate health care disparities in the communities we serve, by delivering the best possible care to every patient, every family, in every one of our facilities with courtesy and compassion, empathy and kindness, dignity and respect -- and love. Let us continue to acknowledge that healthy families and healthy communities are essential for our nation to live up to the founding principal that all are created equal.
Let us dedicate ourselves to honoring a better way in all we do. This is our simple purpose. Now more than ever, it must remain our highest calling.
Thank you for your dedicated work to care for and heal our communities, and to provide for the sick and hurting among us. By doing so together, we can heal our nation, too. One day at a time, through the work we are privileged to do.
Sincerely,
Rubén José King-Shaw, Jr.
EVP & Chief Strategy Officer