WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., July 20, 2022 – Novant Health announced today that it has been recognized for the third straight year as one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” by Disability: IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). For the second year in a row, the health care system received a perfect score on the Disability Equality Index (DEI), a comprehensive benchmarking tool that gauges an organization’s level of disability workplace inclusion relative to other businesses.

“Novant Health’s values include diversity, inclusion, and equity because we know that each individual is different and shaped by their unique life experiences,” said Melissa Parker, Novant Health senior vice president, patient advocacy officer, and executive sponsor of the Persons with Disabilities business resource group (BRG). “Every day, we strive to value the perspectives and life experiences of each patient and team member, including those with disabilities. As a person with a disability, I can say firsthand that this work matters. We are honored to receive this recognition for the third year in a row, validating our continued commitment to disability inclusion.”

Examples of what Novant Health is doing to create an inclusive environment for individuals with disabilities include the following:

• Encouraging team members to self-identify as having a disability or not to help us better understand the needs of our workforce.
• Making virtual meetings more accessible with closed captions and live transcription.
• Hosting internal “courageous conversations” where team members share their stories of living with a disability.
• Forming the Persons with Disabilities business resource group to help understand the needs of persons with disabilities in our workforce, patient population and the communities we serve.
• Completing assessments of all our facilities to find ways we can provide a more accessible environment for patients and team members.
• Making communication aid kits and interpreter services available at our acute care facilities and clinics to help patients with special communications needs.
• Offering an internship experience for students ages 18 to 21 with developmental disabilities at Novant Health Brunswick Medical, Novant Health Matthews Medical Center, and Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center through a partnership with Project SEARCH.
• Following a companywide digital accessibility policy committed to making digital properties like the Novant Health website accessible to persons with disabilities.