Here at Bon Secours, our mission calls us to improve the health and well-being of the communities to which we all belong. It also calls us to bring good help to those in need.
This mission has guided us as far back as 1966. That year, Mother Germanus, one of the Sisters of Bon Secours, tore up an architect’s plans when she saw that Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital was being designed to be segregated. Her insistence on integration and inclusivity ultimately won out and paved the way for St. Mary’s Hospital to be the first racially integrated hospital in the Richmond region.
Inclusivity is still the Bon Secours way. Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital was founded in 1907 by 21 African American physicians. And now, Richmond Community Hospital was recently recognized by the Lown Institute, an independent health care think tank, as one of the most racially inclusive hospitals in the country.
In the Lown Institute’s analysis of more than 3,200 hospitals with Richmond Community Hospital ranking at #47. According to the analysis, this hospital is also the #1 most racially inclusive hospital in the state of Virginia.
The word “community” in the hospital’s name is not taken lightly. Richmond Community Hospital is known for the healthy and positive environment it fosters among all team members and patients, as well as its outstanding commitment to the vibrant community it calls home.
“Bon Secours has always been committed to providing equitable health care and good help to those in need,” says Bryan Lee, president of Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital. “Our work does not stop here. We will continue to compassionately serve the communities around us as we ensure that our services are accessible to any and all.”
While we are honored to receive this recognition, we understand that more needs to be done. Health equity is imperative to improving the overall well-being of the communities we serve. The issue of race and inclusivity is one that needs to be discussed openly and candidly if we are going to bring about meaningful change and create more equitable health care.
Our ministry is committed to addressing health disparities and working collaboratively with others to improve access to health care for everyone in the communities we serve.
Learn more about the mission that drives the work we do at Bon Secours every day.
