Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has been recognized by the 2023 Disability Equality Index (DEI) as a leader in "Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion." The DEI is the nation's most comprehensive annual benchmarking tool used to survey employers' disability policies, practices, and initiatives. For the fifth year in a row, CHOP received a 100 out of 100 score, the DEI's highest ranking.
"We are honored that CHOP has been selected as one of the Disability Equality Index "Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion" for the fifth straight year. This is a testament to all of the contributions of our diverse workforce; it is this diversity, and all of our unique abilities that makes CHOP such a great place to work," said Gilbert Davis, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at CHOP. "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is an integral part of CHOP, and we are intentional each day to create a sense of inclusion and belonging for all of our employees, patients, families, and community members."
CHOP champions numerous Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Clinical Advisory Groups (CAGs), which provide employees with opportunities to connect to the broader mission of the organization and ensure that the dimensions of diversity and inclusion are fully integrated throughout the hospital and CHOP Care Network. ERG members enjoy an enhanced sense of belonging through mentoring, volunteerism, and community involvement.
One such ERG is the CHOP All Abilities Resource Group (AARG), whose mission is to support diversity and inclusion efforts for people with disabilities by increasing awareness, education, and visibility around the topic of disability. AARG aims to foster a safe and welcoming environment that promotes recruitment, support, advocacy and professional development for all employees at CHOP, with an emphasis on equity and belonging for employees with disabilities.
"Through my work as the Executive Officer of the AARG, I have developed a deeper understanding of CHOP's dedication to developing an environment that facilitates a sense of belonging for all employees," said Rose Franzen, a data instructional specialist and executive officer of CHOP's AARG. "This accolade is a wonderful recognition of that commitment. I look forward to another year of challenging the status quo and leading the way to a more equitable, accessible future for disabled employees at CHOP."
In addition to the AARG, CHOP's other ERGs cover identity categories such as gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, Veteran status, and generations/age; they also include four physician affinity groups.
The 2023 DEI measure employers' performance in the following areas: Culture & Leadership; Enterprise-Wide Access; Employment Practices (Benefits, Recruitment, Employment, Education, Retention & Advancement, Accommodations); Community Engagement; Supplier Diversity; Non-U.S. Operations (Non- Weighted).
The DEI was launched in 2015 by Disability:IN and The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). It is considered the most robust disability inclusion assessment tool in business.
