Our Commitment to DEI

Creating a Welcoming Space for All

NHC is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, supportive, and informed space for both our patients and our staff. Read on to learn more about what Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) means to NHC.

Diversity

The recognition, celebration, and representation of the wide variety of how people identify.

Equity

The fair treatment, access to opportunity, and advancement for all people. Equity acknowledges that some individuals may require different or additional forms of support to achieve equality.

Inclusion

The act of intentionally creating spaces in which all individuals feel welcome and respected and are empowered to fully participate in all activities, processes, and decisions.

DEI is Critical to Quality Healthcare

As an FQHC, we're proud to serve a wide and diverse range of patient populations, many of whom experience marginalization based on their identities or lived experiences. Providing identity-specific resources and programs for our patients help fulfill NHC's mission of providing whole-person care and honoring the unique needs and circumstances of each patient.

We know that patient-centered healthcare is informed healthcare and that part of fulfilling of our mission is educating our staff to equip them with the tools they need to provide culturally responsive care.

We're also proud to have a diverse staff population whose demographics mirror our patients. At NHC we understand that our differences are our strengths and that diversity in our staff provides us with a full range of perspectives that help us better support our patients. We also recognize that this diversity is earned by having an organization that supports, celebrates, and uplifts our staff so that every member of the NHC team can comfortably bring their whole self to work.

Our DEI Goals

  1. Empower staff through education to work with a wide range of patient populations and feel confident addressing implicit bias in the workplace.
  2. Support every member of staff to ensure that their unique perspectives are valued and that they can comfortably bring their whole self to work.
  3. Continue to improve clinic experiences and provide culturally responsive care, support, and resources to all NHC patients and communities.

As part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, NHC is proud to support our Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism (IDEA) Committee. The IDEA Committee was founded in 2020 and meets monthly to discuss DEI at NHC and how we can better support our diverse staff and patients.

Valuing diversity means understanding that everyone is unique and recognizing individual differences as strengths that contribute to the cohesive whole of an organization.

NHC's IDEA Committee

Land Acknowledgement for NHC

Portland is located on the traditional lands of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other bands of people that made and make their homes along the Columbia River. Acknowledging the history of the land we are on is one step of many in working to undo the harm of settler-colonialism that still impacts Indigenous communities today, including their access to healthcare. Neighborhood Health Center is proud to serve and support Portland’s Indigenous communities.