Johns Hopkins Medicine Mission

Commitment. Passion. Engagement.

In spring 2006, Johns Hopkins Medicine launched an ambitious endeavor to recruit and retain the most talented people, to foster a culture in which everyone feels that their contributions are valued, and to provide better medical care through respect for patients’ backgrounds and beliefs. We call it the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, and it’s well under way.

In recent years there have been numerous efforts to improve diversity at Johns Hopkins. But those successes often occurred in single departments or divisions. We recognize that achieving success on a larger scale requires an institutional commitment, and that’s why we’ve undertaken this initiative.

To help coordinate our efforts, in January 2009 Brian Gibbs was appointed to the newly created position of associate dean for diversity and cultural competence and leads the Office of Diversity & Cultural Competence. In September of that year, Beverly White-Seals, a member of the boards of trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine and Howard County General Hospital, became acting director for Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Office of Workforce Diversity. Gibbs, White-Seals and others across the Johns Hopkins Medicine community are working to realize the Johns Hopkins Medicine Diversity and Inclusion Vision 2020 Plan. This document sets concrete goals for recruitment and retention, cultural competency in patient care, and eliminating disparities in quality of care and outcomes here.