How the culture at Northwell has provided opportunities for LGBTQ+ employees and allies to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community

Jared Oliveira has been with Northwell Health for more than five years and is a gay member of the LGBTQ+ community. Having the security of a safe workplace is important to him and is something that Northwell has always provided. “I believe that Northwell is determined to better the experience for the LGBTQ+ population,” he says.

Jared is a program manager in corporate community relations. He is also a proud member of the leadership team for the Expressions BERG (business employee resource group). He defines this BERG as, “an employee group that is dedicated to influencing a culture of inclusion and advocacy throughout Northwell to support the LGBTQ+ community.”

In his role as program manager, Jared is responsible for overseeing community-based programs, such as managing pop-up COVID-19 testing clinics and assisting with the organization of vaccine distributions during COVID. That passion for impacting communities excited Jared about taking on a lead role in this year’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) survey – a national LGBTQ+ benchmarking tool that evaluates the policies and practices related to equity and inclusion for patients, visitors and employees of healthcare facilities. The HEI survey is an important annual initiative for him and his fellow Expressions BERG team members, such as Kimberly Schwalb, manager of operations for the Cancer Center at Mather Hospital

Kimberly is a proud ally and the executive coordinator for the Expressions BERG. Like Jared, she wants to help in any way that she can to ensure that all employees feel heard and accepted. She believes advocacy is made easier because Northwell is an organization where everyone unites behind the commitment to diversity and inclusion. One of Kimberly’s fondest memories was marching along with a contingent of over 750 Northwell employees down 5th Ave. for World Pride. It was a moving and powerful moment that brought employees together. “Northwell celebrates the diversity of all our team members,” she says.

In her role at the Cancer Center at Mather Hospital, Kimberly is responsible for the management and coordination of all practices for the cancer program. She also supports the planning and implementation of programs and processes essential to two cancer accreditations. Kimberly combines her expertise in management and coordination with her passion for celebrating diversity in the work she does for the Expressions BERG: “I partner with team members from across the health system to implement activities that focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion and that follow through on Northwell’s commitment to diversity.”

Together with the rest of the Expressions BERG leadership team, Jared and Kimberly enjoy curating events that celebrate all LGBTQ+ national awareness days. The BERG also helps promote practices that respect gender identities and pronouns and they collaborate with the health system as a whole to help increase the clinical services available for the LGBTQ+ community at Northwell.
Jared says, “Northwell puts employees first. For me, I am able to be who I am comfortably, regardless of my identity, and I am respected across the health system by my colleagues.” Kimberly adds, “Northwell celebrates our differences and is committed to the communities we serve.”

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