Anti-racism—Change Begins Within Each of Us

In our united effort to address racism, University of Utah Health is taking steps that can lead to a more equitable and inclusive academic medical center. The School of Medicine created an Anti-racism Commission to identify practices, policies, and structures which perpetuate, or are perceived to perpetuate, systemic racism in our medical school and recommend practices, policies, and structures to replace them. More details on this important initiative at U of U Health will be forthcoming soon.

Today, I share with you an anti-racism message from leadership at U of U Health Hospitals and Clinics.

—Michael L. Good

^{The photo on the right was published July 21st, 2020.} 

In recent weeks, the legacy of racism in the United States has been at the forefront of the national consciousness. Through this reckoning of issues of discrimination and unequal treatment in our country of people who are black, we must welcome the opportunity as individuals and as an organization to really assess the steps we can take to create positive change in our community.   

Change begins inside each of us. We must commit to using this moment in time to listen, learn, and develop new ways to act. As leaders of the largest academic health care institution in the Mountain West, we are in a position to leverage our influence to be a sponsor of positive change in our community and the region.  

We are working with our Health Sciences team on system-wide anti-racism initiatives. We are also adding a new position, Senior Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion to our Human Resources team. The person in this new position will collaborate with the Health Sciences Associate Vice President’s Office of Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and will oversee programs and initiatives designed to enhance the recruitment and retention of our valuable team members.

We now understand that we must be anti-racist in order to stand with and lift up members of our community who have suffered the consequences of racism. To simply consider ourselves “not racist” is not enough. Please engage with us in our upcoming initiatives so that together we can create meaningful change. 

Thank you for caring about our patients, our colleagues, and our community.

Gordon Crabtree, CPA, MBA

Gordon Crabtree has served as chief executive officer for University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics since 2016. Prior to his current role, Crabtree was chief financial officer of U of U Health for 14 years. Before joining the university, he was managing director of finance for the Salt Lake Olympic Committee. Prior to the Olympics, he worked for the state of Utah in the positions of director of finance, assistant director of finance, and audit manager.

Dan Lundergan, MHA

As chief operating officer for University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, Dan Lundergan works with the executive team to develop strategies to ensure the hospital’s ongoing financial viability and fulfill its safety, satisfaction, and quality priorities. Lundergan has worked for U of U Health for more than four decades and has held numerous positions within the organization.