LCHC’s Statement on Racial Inequity

Lynn Community Health Center joins our community in the mourning and condemnation of the recent violent deaths within the Black community: Ahmaud Arbery, shot for jogging, Breonna Taylor, killed within her own home, George Floyd, killed while begging for his breath, and countless other trans and cis Black women and men, whose names we have not learned. This pandemic of racial violence is centuries old, and stems from our ugly histories of slavery, segregation, and mass incarceration.  In addition to this horrific physical violence, the cancerous effects of racism include disparities in health, economic well-being, chronic stress, and many other indicators of quality and longevity of life.  While we understand that statements of solidarity, mourning, and reflection are important, we also understand that they are not a substitute for commitment and action. We therefore make the following commitments.

We commit to holding ourselves accountable to our patients. Our mission as well as our daily work is dedicated to addressing inequities. When we provide long needed services, strive for patient convenience, address patients with respect, and dress up to bear witness to the importance of their lives, we hope to contribute to building a more equitable world, starting in our community. Our work is a daily stand against racism, and we believe that striving towards our collective vision of “delivering the best outcomes that any healthcare institution has delivered” is a radical act.

We commit to holding ourselves accountable to our beloved internal community. While we have placed employee wellness and education at the center of our strategic vision, we will do work to provide safe space and community for our employees of color, and work to dismantle our own individual racism by allowing space for the examination of whiteness and privilege. We will proactively identify and develop people of color, to assist in the pursuit of their career goals.  We will continue to work with SEIU-1199 to ensure safe and equitable working conditions.

Lastly, we commit to holding ourselves accountable to the Greater Lynn community. As a community health center, we are rooted in and responsive to our community. We invite feedback about how we can serve you better. We will also work with our local community partners, local government and our healthcare peers – we hope to push each other to be better and work together to expose and counter systemic racism.

Working towards these goals, daily and over the years, is and will be part of our contribution to the dismantling of racism.

Kiame Mahaniah, MD                                     Rodolfo R. Vega

Chief Executive Officer                                  President of the Board