The Compass Program
The Compass Program is a yearlong journey where Hennepin Healthcare team members receive the chance to reflect, learn, and connect with other employees, focusing on racial inequities in healthcare systems.
Access the Compass Program Overview video.
Through the Compass Program, Hennepin Healthcare team members will have the unique opportunity to learn more about the history of racism in the US, how different racial groups have faced racism in the US (including Black/African Americans, Latinx/Hispanic Americans, American Indian Alaskan Natives, as well as Asian American Pacific Islanders), and how systemic racism contributes to health disparities.
The program provides the team with professional development opportunities related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to support their personal journey into health equity. Team members will be equipped with historical knowledge, broadened awareness, and skills to navigate systemic forms of racism as well as interpersonal microaggressions. The end goal will be to put learning into practice, working to eliminate health inequities.
- 138 senior leaders at Hennepin Healthcare have completed the program
- As of July 2023, 50 percent of the team have started their journey
- By 2025, all 7,000 team members will have completed the Compass Program
- Team members have the opportunity to receive a Credly badge to share with their network that they’ve completed our health equity training
Testimonials
"Participating in the Compass program has been a life-changing experience for me. I’m very appreciative of the opportunity and that it will be shared with all team members.
As a nurse, bearing witness to someone else’s pain is central to our profession. It is equally as important as aligning ourselves with where our patients are in their journey and meeting them there. These values go hand in hand. Bearing witness to the pain, violence, and trauma experienced by Black, African American, American Indian, Asian, and Hispanic people helps us not strive for equality but equity in how we treat and care for people.” - Megen B.
"I have learned so much already in the few months we've had these trainings. I am starting to recognize my biases and work toward identifying and acknowledging them as inaccurate." - Anonymous
"I really like being able to take the Compass Program alongside my Hennepin colleagues. The variety of podcasts, videos, and pod discussions so far have been engaging and helpful as we go through this journey as a team together, and the Health Equity Educators are incredibly knowledgeable and truly passionate about this work." - Emma H.
"I appreciate the pod [meetings] because we get to discuss what we are learning, and it helps me to talk things through with others and hear other viewpoints. I frequently discuss what I am learning in this program with those at home. [The Compass] Program has been an amazing opportunity to learn from others I work with, which has been one of the most impactful parts." -Anonymous
“The Compass Program has helped me understand the US history of racism and oppression more deeply … Disparities exist today because of institutionalized racism – federal, state, and municipal governments that enabled laws that benefited some and excluded others (de jure segregation).
Hennepin Healthcare’s commitment to educating team members and increasing their knowledge of other cultures within the context of US history helps me understand implicit biases and why disparities persist today. Compass is a differentiator for me and a key reason why I am proud to work at Hennepin Healthcare." - Michelle Price
"Having the support and motivation through this program to sit in discomfort, unpack my biases, and come to a complete understanding of history has been incredible. [The Compass Program] has tremendously impacted me individually and changed how I approach different things in managing my department." - Anonymous
