CHOP Holds Inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Breakthrough Makers Summit
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On May 25, 2023, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia held its inaugural DEI Breakthrough Makers Summit. This hybrid event was attended by more than 350 CHOP employees and raised awareness and understanding of DEI initiatives at CHOP. 
The day also created opportunities for clinical, research and administrative staff to broaden their network and cross-departmental collaborations, while listening to various panelists present on priorities within their respective departments. Throughout the day, guests were invited to participate in a virtual and in-person DEI Commitment Wall, where they were asked to provide examples of ways they would drive meaningful change, expand their networks and share learnings from the summit.
During the event, Gilbert Davis, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, presented more than 30 DEI awards to celebrate the accomplishments of DEI champions across CHOP.
The day ended with keynote speaker Heather McGhee, author of the Sum of Us, who talked about the history and impact of systemic racism, and how to prosper together. In her talk, McGhee took a deeper dive into what we lose when we buy into the zero-sum paradigm — the idea that progress for some of us must come at the expense of others. She highlighted that racism is harmful to everyone, and thus we all have an interest in fighting it.
“The DEI Summit was an exciting chapter in our DEI journey, and we look forward to continuing to offer opportunities for our workforce to engage in this important work,” says Amtul Sufi, Director of ODEI.