From the beginning, CareOregon has been a place where staff can feel like they belong.
With special events, regular all-staff meetings – not to mention fierce department Halloween decorating competitions – the organization has fostered opportunities for employees to come together, get to know each other and share in their passion for the mission.
In 2021, we deepened those efforts by launching the Employee Resource Group (ERG) program to help promote an inclusive work environment. Through the ERGs, employees can explore another way to deliver work that uplifts our members and communities. They can come together and support one another, build a sense of community - and have fun, too.
"A large part of my job is building positive relationships with people I work with," says Ivy Monterose-Ortiz, a newer member of both the Native and Unidos ERGs. "The ERG spaces have felt like an informal way just to chat, meet people and bring things up that feel relevant while getting perspective on things that I don't know as much about."
Employees form groups with other people who share their identities and experiences, particularly those who have been historically marginalized or underrepresented in the community and workforce.
"Sometimes we chat about issues within the tribal communities," says Tammy Pece, a member of the Native ERG. "I'm on CareOregon's Tribal Care Coordination team and we share a lot of resources, like news stories, that come down the line and impact Native peoples."
The ERGs can give allies an opportunity to engage, as well.
“I am not myself Native, but I have a lot of people in my life that are just really near and dear to my heart, and I wanted to really learn more about the culture and be able to feel like I was being respectful,” says Sharon Sands, a member of the Native ERG.
The ERG program quickly became an integral part of our employee culture and new ones are added regularly. Today more than 370 employees participate in CareOregon-sponsored voluntary groups including: Big Rainbow Umbrella, Black/African American, CareOregon Unidos, Facing Climate Change, Native, Neurodivergent Connection, Pride, SWANA Be Friends (Southwest Asian and North African), Veterans and Women in Leadership.
ERGs are just one of the many ways CareOregon uses to support staff and advance our organization's equity, inclusion and diversity goals. Whether hosting a guest speaker for fellow employees, providing training and affinity groups or building a cultural series, the ERGs are working to reach all CareOregonians.
“We have group members who are allies – they are leaders of neurodiverse people, and they want to learn directly from us what we go through so that they can coach their employees,” says Amber Morrison-Kaiser, a member of both the Neurodivergent Connection and Women in Leadership ERGs.
The groups also provide valuable insight in helping CareOregon fulfill its mission to inspire and partner to create quality and equity in individual and community health. As Amber says: "I want leaders and the organization as a whole to learn how to support the neurodiverse population."
The ERGs at CareOregon are leaving a lasting impact. They provide supportive spaces for employees to engage and connect with those of similar shared identities while helping to build more community belonging. They're providing another safe space for sharing and growth that benefits everyone, allowing new opportunities, ideas and recognition to surface in the work we do and the communities we serve.
Go here to learn more about CareOregon’s ERGs, culture and values.
