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'People of Color Healthcare Career Fair' will help in fight for health care equity

On July 16, Hennepin Healthcare will take a strong step toward addressing disparities in health care by hosting its "People of Color Healthcare Career Fair."

MINNEAPOLIS — Whether reviewing our recent history or current reality, Minnesotans know we’re at the epicenter of needed racial reckoning.

And health care systems are stepping up to address their role in trying to deal with some of the disparities.

“Hennepin Healthcare’s job is always to make sure that anybody and everybody receives the care that they need,” said Dr. Tonya Jackman Hampton, vice president of People and Culture at Hennepin Healthcare. 

Emphasizing the need for a diverse staff, Jackman Hampton continued, “We realize that having people of color in our system is a critical aspect of being able to provide better care.”

So on Saturday, July 16, Hennepin Healthcare will be taking a strong step toward that goal with the inaugural “People of Color Healthcare Career Fair.”

“It’s really an opportunity for us to connect with the community and ensure that we’re creating a pipeline for people who want to come work in health care and they hadn’t thought about it before,” Jackman Hampton said, adding, “The way that we are thinking about it, is we wanted to set up different stations. There are different ways to help people through the onboarding process.”

She noted that diversifying health care is critical, given persistent disparities in health outcomes, from diabetes to dementia, heart disease to premature births. Experts also note the greater community’s changing demographics requires a change in staffing, with the 2020 census data showing nearly a quarter of people in Minnesota, and a third of people in Hennepin County, all identify as someone other than “white alone.” 

Jackman Hampton says Hennepin Healthcare’s staff of about 7,300 is 34 percent people of color.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hennepin Healthcare’s Clinic & Specialty Center, Level 1 Atrium, at 715 S. 8th St. in Minneapolis. 

For information or to sign up for the event, just click here.

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