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Light of Hearts Villa in Bedford, Ohio

DEI & Belonging

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING​

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) excellence at the Sisters of Charity Health System is a commitment the entire ministry makes to improve and sustain a culture of dignity and respect for everyone and where everyone knows they are a valued member of the health system. When we truly embody the Catholic vision of each person, inclusion naturally follows. Our faith-based, Catholic identity affirms that every human is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family, and that each and every person has inherent dignity and a right to a life consistent with that dignity.

Vision:
Every person who interacts with the Sisters of Charity Health System, both internally and externally, is welcomed and respected as their authentic self.
Mission:
Through courage, compassion and collaboration, we work to create a health system rooted in justice, in which all our ministries embrace diversity and create equitable, inclusive spaces of belonging.
At Light of Hearts Villa, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, we are fully committed to this work and host monthly DEIB meetings internally to continue to foster an environment of learning, acceptance and growth. Our goal is to cultivate awareness and understanding of personal differences and biases to establish an environment that is ingrained in our culture of understanding, acceptance, respect, belonging and support.
Light of Hearts Villa Organizational Pledge:
“We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.” – Pope Francis
Racism within any context is an affront to the core values of Catholic teaching which acknowledges the inherent dignity of each person, calls for the furthering of the common good and seeks justice. Catholic health care recognizes the profound effect racism has on the health and well-being of individuals and communities and is committed to addressing the causes of health disparities among the underserved members of the population. As such we are committed to working with partners who share these convictions to implement any needed changes to eliminate racism in our marginalized communities. We must listen meaningfully and engage effectively by involving in the decision-making process those most affected by health care disparities in order to develop and implement requisite changes. As community health leaders we are in an unique position to bring about such changes. We must be actively anti-racist, lead through accountability, develop community engagement built on trust and demonstrate measurable impact in the communities we are called on to serve.
We Commit to:
  • Evaluation of our own house. We will examine all aspects of our organizations including how we provide clinical care; how we recruit, hire, promote and retain employees based on merit; how we conduct business operations including diversity and inclusivity at the decision, leadership and governance levels; and how we hold our leaders accountable in these processes. We will leverage our assets towards proactively eliminating health disparities where they are found to exist.
  • Maintaining right and just relationships with our communities. We will maintain and strengthen trust with communities of color. This includes fostering and sustaining relationships based on mutually agreed upon goals; “leaning in” to listen; understanding the needs of the community; determining how we can best partner together to bring about sustainable change; measuring the impact of our efforts; and making adjustments as needed as our combined work and relationships evolve. 
  • Advocating change to end health disparities and racism. We will leverage our voices to advocate changes that: Work to eliminate health disparities. We will advocate policies that ensure access to quality health care services for all; end racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes; promote and improve the delivery of culturally competent care; and increase the diversity of the health care work force.
We will oppose policies that exacerbate or perpetuate economic and social inequities as that contribute to health disparities. We will call for changes to policies that shape people’s lives – education, housing, nutrition, and the environment – so that every man, woman and child in our society may flourish.

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Prayer Service & Reception

March 6, 2026

As we celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, we invite you to join us for a special afternoon of prayer and gratitude on Wednesday, April 29.

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