Henry Ford Health Named as One of ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023’

DETROIT – Henry Ford Health’s success with empowerment of women, promotion of veterans, development of entry-level employees, and support of LGBTQ+ team members and overall culture has landed it on Newsweek’s list of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023."

This particular list is Newsweek’s first and is grouped by six main economic sectors and 34 industries including healthcare. Henry Ford is one of the few Michigan healthcare organizations to make the list and of those, the only one to receive a five-star rating. A total of 1,000 employers nationwide were listed.

“We are excited about this latest national recognition and acknowledgement of our ongoing commitment to diversity,” said Henry Ford Health President and CEO Robert G. Riney. “We celebrate this ranking which further energizes us to continue to serve as an industry leader, community partner and innovator with a vision of equity for all. While our vision incudes diversity, it doesn’t stop there. We have embarked on an extensive, multi-year journey, guided by our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice Strategic Plan. It is a roadmap designed to ensure our staff, patients and the communities we serve are afforded the full opportunity to participate in all aspects of economic, social and civic life.”

Newsweek partnered with market data research firm, Plant-A Insights Group, which produced the rankings. Scoring was based on a review of publicly available data, interviews with Human Resources professionals and an anonymous online survey of full- and part-time employees at companies with 1,000 or more team members in the United States. Respondents were asked about working environment, corporate culture and other subjects at their own companies and others with which they were familiar. More than 350,000 reviews were generated.

“Throughout metropolitan Detroit and our entire state, there is a significantly diverse population,” says Michelle Johnson Tidjani, Esq., Henry Ford Health’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel. “We have large populations from a vast array of countries and each group has unique needs and sensitivities that can affect their healthcare experience. Our workforce is equally diverse, with team members from all over the world. That diversity of thought, cultures and experiences helps us to address and meet the unique needs of the communities we serve.”  

“Diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice have to be key business imperatives for any organization to be a genuine representation of the communities it serves,” said Henry Ford Health Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, Nina Ramsey. “We want our team members to feel a sense of belonging; that they can bring their whole selves to work with the assurance of feeling heard, accepted and embraced. This latest recognition is rewarding and validation of the work we do every day for our patients and team members,” said Ramsey.

“We know diversity is a desirable attribute for any company and it makes good business sense,” said Newsweek Global Editor-In-Chief, Nancy Cooper. “It is common to hear employers emphasizing their efforts to recruit and promote people of different ages, races, genders and abilities. With the word ‘diversity’ attracting so much attention from companies, it can be challenging for job applicants and potential business partners to tell who is serious about truly supporting a diverse workforce and who isn’t. That is why we worked with Plant-A Insights Group and are proud to introduce ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023.’”

Henry Ford Health’s LGBTQ+, women-empowered and veteran supportive policies and practices are numerous and include:

• A Henry Ford Health dedicated LGBTQ+ Health Resources web page.
• Hospital visitation policies that grant equal visitation to LGBTQ+ patients and their families.
• Provider and employee training on LGBTQ+ patient-centered care and unconscious bias.
• Availability of all gender restrooms in all Henry Ford care facilities.
• An Employee Resource Group (ERG) called PRIDE, which strengthens the organization’s workforce through recruitment of talented LGBTQ+ employees.
• An ERG called the Women’s Improvement Network (WIN), that works to increase organizational performance by enhancing the professional, personal and family lives of working women at Henry Ford Health.
• An ERG called HF4Vets, which supports the unique needs of our employees and their family members who are veterans through fostering personal and professional growth, providing opportunities for veterans and allies to stand united in support of veterans and their families, and engaging in community outreach opportunities that bring awareness to and address the unique needs of veterans. 

MEDIA CONTACT: mediarelations@hfhs.org

About Henry Ford Health
Serving communities across Michigan and beyond, Henry Ford Health is committed to partnering with patients and members along their entire health journey. Henry Ford Health provides a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care, to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other healthcare retail.

It is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, recognized for clinical excellence in cancer care, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and multi-organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top five NIH-funded institutions in Michigan, Henry Ford Health engages in more than 2,000 research projects annually. Equally committed to educating the next generation of health professionals, Henry Ford Health trains more than 4,000 medical students, residents and fellows every year across 50+ accredited programs.

With more than 33,000 valued team members, Henry Ford Health is also among Michigan’s largest and most diverse employers, including nearly 6,000 physicians and researchers from the Henry Ford Medical Group, Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network.

The health system is led by President and CEO Robert G. Riney and serves a growing number of customers across 250+ locations throughout Michigan including five acute care hospitals, two destination facilities for complex cancer and orthopedics and sports medicine care, one behavioral health facility, primary care and urgent care centers.