Milestones Newsletter | Issue 9, Winter 2025
Advancing equity, diversity and inclusivity in our healthcare system is essential to improving health outcomes in Ontario. At PCMCH, equity, diversity and inclusion (or “EDI”) is more than just a trendy term or checkbox – it requires continuous learning, open-mindedness, honest conversations and, most importantly, real action. As we enter this new year, I want to share some of the steps we are taking to support EDI both within our organization and broadly in the perinatal, newborn and child health system.
PCMCH’s EDI journey starts from within. Over the past few months, we have conducted internal EDI readiness surveys to better understand staff experiences, perceptions, capacity building needs and knowledge gaps. We have developed an internal inclusive language guide, in collaboration with BORN Ontario, to ensure our communications are respectful and accessible. We are striving to expand representation from equity-deserving communities and those with lived experience on PCMCH’s tables. And PCMCH staff continue to update their knowledge and skills on important subjects, such as health equity and Indigenous cultural safety.
We remain committed to developing resources and supports for healthcare providers to better serve equity-deserving individuals and communities, such as our perinatal care tip sheet for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and disability and pregnancy accessible care planning toolkit, among many others. Currently, we are engaging with organizations that support newcomers to Canada, to identify barriers to optimal healthcare and health equities these communities may experience. Through this outreach and collaborative relationships, we hope to address inequities and improve inclusivity of perinatal and paediatric healthcare for newcomers.
We continue to build relationships with and learn from Indigenous organizations to ensure all our efforts to improve health equity for Indigenous Peoples are guided by Indigenous voices. Recently, in collaboration with the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC), PCMCH created a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fact sheet tailored to Indigenous parents and caregivers. This resource, available in English, French and four Indigenous languages (Cree, Inuktitut, Ojibway and Mohawk) aims to advance culturally relevant and accessible healthcare information.
Addressing racism, discrimination, inequities, and unacceptable harms in our healthcare system is an ongoing journey. I am grateful for the vulnerability, trust and collaboration of our staff, Governing Council, committee members, partners and all those who contribute to our work. Together, we can create a healthcare system where everyone feels supported and valued.
Warmly,
Sanober Diaz