SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sutter Health proudly announces the appointment of Dana Beckton as its first chief diversity and inclusion officer (CDIO), further elevating and prioritizing this work at an executive level. In her role, Beckton will lead the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy for the California-based integrated health system, while serving as a key member of Sutter’s Executive Leadership Team. She will work directly with Sutter Health President and CEO Warner Thomas and interim Chief Human Resources Officer Gail Lerch to drive DEI programming and initiatives.   
  
“DEI is an integral part of our work at Sutter Health and core to our mission and values. It is essential to building trust and partnerships with the communities we serve, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, equitable and culturally competent care,” said Thomas. “At a time when some companies are scaling back their commitment to DEI, we believe it’s imperative we continue to prioritize and accelerate this vital work. Our organization will be better because of it. We are thrilled to welcome Dana to our team!”  
  
“DEI is a core ingredient for our people, culture and communities—we intend to embed this work across every aspect of Sutter Health. I look forward to championing DEI at Sutter Health and the healthcare industry more broadly, helping make our organization the best place to work, practice and receive care,” said Beckton.  

Beckton and her team will play a critical role in further building trust and a sense of belonging with staff, physicians and clinicians. She will oversee organizational efforts to enhance diversity in recruitment, training and development to help grow careers at Sutter while attracting and hiring more diverse candidates.   
  
The not-for-profit healthcare system’s DEI focus continues to evolve with plans to further expand the organization’s active Inclusion Resource Groups and build impactful DEI plans in partnership with medical groups, physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Beckton and her team will help to provide guidance, support and education as Sutter Health expands the membership of these groups, enhancing the organization's ability to provide equitable patient care. 
  
“At Sutter Health we’re accelerating our efforts to infuse DEI into all aspects of the organization by informing programming, actions and built-in accountability,” said Thomas. “With our physician and executive team’s engagement and the addition of Dana’s leadership, we are confident Sutter will become a DEI leader within the healthcare industry.” 
  
Prior to joining Sutter Health, Beckton led DEI efforts for Sentara Healthcare, a not-for-profit healthcare organization serving Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. There, she aligned the DEI aspirations to the organization's strategy and helped operationalize their workplace, workforce and community, which included launching 14 division diversity councils in Sentara’s 12 hospitals, health plan and the medical group. Beckton previously guided DEI programming for Christiana Care Health System in Delaware and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.  

She also led the initiative to achieve the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index Leadership and Top Leader status between 2020 and 2022 and launched the Project CHOICE grant program for underrepresented in medicine pipelines. The program supported four Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students chapters, four middle and high school summer camps and eight additional non-profit organizations. The program also supplied scholarships to 39 pre-med students and sent 25 students to the Student National Medical Association conference. 

Beckton will begin her new role on Jan. 8, 2024.  
  
About Sutter Health  
Sutter Health’s integrated, not-for-profit system of associated clinicians, employees and volunteers support more than 3 million patients in diverse communities across two dozen counties. Headquartered in Northern California, Sutter provides access to high quality, affordable care through its hospitals, medical foundations, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent and walk-in care centers, telehealth, home health and hospice services.      

For more information about the Sutter Health network visit: sutterhealth.org | facebook.com/sutterhealth | youtube.com/sutterhealth | twitter.com/sutterhealth.   

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• Dana Beckton, Sutter Health

Angie Sheets
Sutter Health
916-494-9547
sheetsa@sutterhealth.org