I’ve enjoyed seeing the coverage given in the press to our 2023 DEI report since its release late last month. Anyone who’s produced a report like this knows that it takes months to create, yet seconds to put out in the world without knowing how it’ll be utilized. I’m pleased that it has provided a point of reference to the debate about representation in the life sciences, and the level of commitment to DEI in corporate America.

While this report certainly adds to the larger discussion of DEI in the life sciences industry and can inform decisions, the small number of respondents in the data set does mean it should not be used exclusively to draw conclusions or as a basis for all actions. We’ve shared some reasons for non-completion and part of our charge is to investigate how we can increase participation in the future, especially regarding our data collection methodology. However, it’s important to note that this is only one way we solicit information from our members to gain insights on the status of DEI in the industry and what investments need to be made.

I have the pleasure of consulting individually with our companies, both large and small, and I can say that some are doing incredible work in implementing DEI initiatives and best practices, above and beyond the averages shared in the report. And despite the SCOTUS ruling, many of these companies have told me they won’t be changing their commitment to this in any way. Though many of those companies chose not to participate in the survey themselves, some of the good news coming from the report definitely reflects the individual interactions I’ve had with member companies.

At the same time, with the current season for the biotech companies presenting new economic challenges, I’ve observed that some companies have been unable or unwilling to provide their DEI leads with the bandwidth and resources needed to be successful. I’m hesitant to say that some companies don’t value DEI outcomes that highly, but few have taken the leap to connect executive compensation with those outcomes. When I meet with DEI leads who feel limited in their power to execute, I frequently recommend that they narrow their focus so that they can devote the care and consideration that a DEI initiative needs to be implemented sincerely and effectively.

For this year’s report, I did spot a few surprises that warrant discussion:

• Only 18% of respondents suggested that the survey identified sustainability [of DEI initiatives] as needing more attention right now compared to the other survey options. Yet my own interactions lead me to believe much concern and trepidation exists with the individuals who are carrying most of the responsibility for their company’s DEI work. How long can they keep going if they aren’t resourced for success? If companies are going to start cutting back on DEI officers as some suggest, what will exist in their place to sustain any DEI progress made?
• 32% of respondents in the survey suggested “more respecting and accepting the differences of others” would improve the implementation or success of any best practices or new diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The majority of the “crises” that are shared with me during member engagements often stem from contentions around the differences of others and a lack of respect or acceptance for those differences. Those experiences would have led me to expect many more respondents to say that improved implementation or success of any best practices or new DEI initiatives is dependent on individuals being “more respecting and accepting the difference of others.” Yet, that response stood at just 32%.
• I’ve heard countless members tell me about the processes they have in place to make spend opportunities more accessible to minority owned businesses, yet the report suggests that only 21% have a supplier diversity program. That tells me I might need to help members to formalize those processes into something they can confidently call and promote as a supplier diversity program open to interest from diverse businesses.  

MassBio’s report, though not perfect, really is something that contributes to discussions about corporate DEI efforts and if we in the life sciences are making meaningful progress. Going forward I will be working with our partners, members companies, and the DEI and health equity board committee to consider what will be the most meaningful information to collect and share. Are we asking the right questions, in the right way, not only to help our members benchmark, but to ensure we’re providing insights about the industry to support our partners across the state as they look to engage with the life sciences? How can we track the effectiveness of workforce development initiatives like Bioversity in improving representation at all levels in our companies? And how can we influence the implementation of DEI initiatives and the sharing of data so that the pledges made in our open letter and observations I see and hear firsthand are reflected in survey results in years to come?

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As the ever-changing biotechnology and pharmaceutical landscape continues to evolve and explode with new technology, it is more important than ever to keep the end goal of our work in mind – patient outcomes. The improvement of people’s lives is the overall upshot of all the time, resources, money and brainpower that our industry employs. And we know there’s a long way to go, as patient outcomes remain deeply disparate based on factors like race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status and other identities. For an industry at the forefront of so many breakthroughs, our progress on health equity is simply not sufficient.

One small but illustrative example: cancer rates among Latinos are expected to rise 142% by 2030, but Latinos often represent less than 10% of oncological clinical trial participants. We can’t expect to address significant health challenges if we’re not seeking to bring the groups most impacted by them to the table when it comes to drug development, trials, treatments and more.

How, then, as the ecosystem of companies developing breakthrough treatments and medicines for our communities, can we do our part to center the voices, experiences and health needs of our most disadvantaged patients and make measurable differences in their lives?

Putting Patients First: Health Equity in Drug Development

As part of our Patient Advocacy Summit, we welcomed a diverse panel of some of Massachusetts’ top leaders championing health equity in clinical research and moving the needle towards unbiased patient health outcomes.

Moderna’s Senior Manager of Clinical Trial Diversity & Inclusion Nubia Whitaker moderated our “Putting Patients First: Health Equity in Drug Development” panel, with Dr. Rosa Colon-Kolacko, President and Founder of Global Equity Learning and a Health Equity Compact member; Ann-Marie La Ronde-Richard, Director & Patient Engagement Lead of the Internal Medicine Research Unit at Pfizer; and Rohita Sharma, Global Senior Director in Patient Insights & Solutions at Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease speaking to our collective duty to advance health equity in drug development, and defining the steps that need to be taken to do so.

Our ultimate responsibility is just that – putting patients first. As more and more patients expect to be involved in the drug development process, it is our duty to engage them throughout the process with equity top of mind.

In our industry, decisions and priorities that directly impact health outcomes are made based on data, and that data needs to be representative of and responsive to the communities it serves. All of them. When certain communities are not actively involved in the full drug development process, progress is not made with their experiences in mind, nor the slew of health and healthcare challenges that may affect them disproportionately.

The Answer: A Patient-Centric Drug Development Approach

With all this said, how do we imbue equitable patient-centricity into our drug development process? Here are a few key takeaways from the conversation.

Engaging Patients Throughout Entire Process

For the panelists, connecting with patient communities means acknowledging them as experts. Patients are the true subject matter experts as those experiencing illness and rare disease firsthand.

“When we listen and learn from patients and embed their perspectives into our drug development programs from end to end, we do better science,” said La Ronde-Richard. “Because we understand the value of the questions that we are asking from the patient’s perspective.”

The work the biotech and pharmaceutical companies do and the drugs we develop must remain responsive to the unique needs, identities and experiences of the patients we are ultimately treating. This means understanding the patient experience, the intersections of systemic health inequities with various identities, and the urgency required to make patients the agents of their own health outcomes.

Building Trust

Sharma spoke about the necessity of building trust in order to fully engage patients and encourage their participation. This includes circling back to communities surveyed with updates on how their data is being used to advance research, educating them about how exactly the process will work, and taking the time to listen and create a bi-directional experience.

“They need those questions answered before they even contemplate joining a clinical trial,” said Sharma. “For example, will I have to take time off work? Is there going to be transportation? How is this going to impact my life and my family’s life? And so if you want to build trust, it’s almost a step back for you to actually step forward.”

Institutional Intentionality

At MassBio, we know from our soon-to-be-released State of Racial, Ethnic & Gender Diversity Report that DEI initiatives are on the rise throughout the industry – but there is so much more to be done.

Colon-Kolacko echoed this, leaning into the need for internal processes that lend themselves to clinical trial diversity and health equity in drug development.

“We need to define what is it that equitable research experiences will look like, and how that is defined by the communities that you serve,” said Colon-Kolacko. “We need to start showing [patients] more authentically that we are co-leading with you, because you have your experiences that we respect, and then we can make antiracism a priority.”

Your company’s investigators and decision-makers should, at least to some degree, reflect the communities for whom you are doing the research. Beyond recording demographics, consider whether your team is truly taking that data and surrounding cultural context into account when analyzing it.

Intentional institutional practices and policies might look like programs such as Alexion’s LEAP, a series of immersive learning sessions that help employees understand the patient experience. Or Pfizer’s Patient InSight Committee, which centers patients, caregivers and advocates in clinical trial feedback. There’s also Tufts University’s Patient Friction Coefficient, which measures the burden of clinical trial participation, just to name a few.

Taking Responsibility for Health Equity

It is our responsibility as those developing lifesaving drugs and treatments to keep in mind the vast diversity of identity and experience that we are so lucky to have in the Commonwealth and respond accordingly. COVID-19 vaccine developed showed us that diverse enrollment in clinical trials is both possible and effective, and that it drives both economic and societal value. This scientific approach enables better patient outcomes and promotes growth—it is good for patients and for business.

By diversifying clinical trials, prioritizing patients’ voices and driving our industry’s commitment to DEI, we take the first steps toward creating a more equitable drug development process and ultimately, advancing health equity in the Commonwealth.

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Back when I was a postdoctoral fellow, I navigated the challenges of being one of only a few women in the lab, juggling my unique responsibilities as a mom of three young children with the demands of churning out publishable data in a highly competitive academic environment. From this and similar experiences, I appreciate the importance of embracing individual identities and fostering an environment where diversity is celebrated.

As Chief Scientific Officer at Cullinan Oncology, I recently embarked on a mission that deeply resonates with both my lived experiences and leadership principles. This mission, to help integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into our growing company, is more than just a corporate initiative; it is a fundamental commitment to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute their unique perspectives and where the medicines we ultimately develop can benefit and reach all patients who desperately need them.

In 2022, we made a deliberate choice to initiate this work early in the life cycle of our company as we were transitioning from a largely preclinical-stage to a clinical-stage company, recognizing the vital importance of having the right voices at the table and reaching the right patients from the very outset of our programs. Today, I offer insights to my fellow biotech leaders who are likewise embarking on their own commitment to this work.

First, empower people and embed principles from the start. DEI is not the work of a select few; it is the collective endeavor of an inclusive community. The DEI goals that we set at my company are simple but not easy to achieve: to ensure diverse and inclusive recruiting for our clinical trials; to build DEI into every step of our employee recruitment and retention life cycle; and to strengthen our inclusive culture. For a company to establish and accomplish their DE&I goals, leaders should empower employees from all corners of the organization to contribute to conversations aligning on goals, and then help work to move the goals forward. For example, our company assembled employee-led workstreams aligned to each goal, led by passionate individuals with expertise in their respective areas who have the authority to impact changes in our work practices and behaviors. These colleagues have taken the initiative to educate their peers through journal clubs and other forums, fostering a sense of ownership and shared commitment. By allowing representatives from all levels and job functions to embed this commitment into their own work, companies are better able to seamlessly embed these learnings and principles into everyday routines and decision-making.

Second, engage community representatives and leaders. We operate within a broader healthcare ecosystem we need to both contribute to and influence. By embedding diversity into our clinical trials, we shaped an actionable plan focused on acquiring learnings from existing best practices, adhering to regulatory guidance, building essential relationships and partnerships, and meeting patients where they are. One of our clinical programs has shown encouraging early potential in endometrial cancer—a disease that disproportionately affects non-Hispanic Black and Asian women. By mapping racial diversity across geographies, collaborating with select investigators, and establishing trials in accessible settings, biotechs can reach patients who could most benefit from research and who may not otherwise have access to important clinical trials.

The same principle is true in building our workforce. Amid our company’s rapid growth—doubling in size over the past 18 months—we have broadened our candidate pool by exploring new recruitment channels, scrutinizing our job descriptions for more inclusive language, and tapping external networks for training and development opportunities for our employees. By embedding DEI efforts into a corporate growth strategy, companies can ensure their workforce is richly diverse across multiple dimensions and that everyone has opportunities to develop and advance their careers.

Finally, humility is key.  These internal efforts have led to our public announcement highlighting our commitment to DEI. Our goals are ambitious, but we will hold ourselves accountable. Most importantly: We recognize that the work is never done, and our biotech community needs to constantly iterate as both individual companies and the forces around us evolve. Internal and external partners can help us pressure test and gut check our progress.

While the work is far from over, I’m immensely proud of what we have done, and I am optimistic that we have set the right foundation to unlock greater scientific innovation by prioritizing diverse perspectives in our research and development, ultimately benefitting patients. There is still much more to learn from our industry partners and sharing these insights will help us all to continue learning, growing, and driving change together as a community.

About the Author

Jennifer Michaelson has more than two decades of industry experience in oncology, immunology, and immune-oncology drug development. She has been a part of Cullinan Oncology since 2018, serving as Chief Development Officer and now Chief Scientific Officer. Jen has played an integral role in building Cullinan’s diverse pipeline over the years and continues to identify the most promising science in cancer research. Her unique background spans academia and research to pipeline and drug development for biopharma and early biotech companies. Jen earned her B.A. in Biology from Princeton University and Ph.D. from the Department of Cell Biology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Philip Leder’s laboratory in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Learn more about Cullinan Oncology’s commitment to DE&I. 

The post Guest Blog: Biotech’s Role in Fostering Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Health Care appeared first on MassBio.

Ultragenyx CEO and Founder Dr. Emil Kakkis has long said the best teams are a “mosaic” of different backgrounds, experiences and ways of thinking, and he established the company with this core belief in mind. In my experience leading DEIB, I have consistently found that companies that instill this idea as a core belief in their corporate values and culture are best equipped to solve today’s challenges.

Weaving this core belief into a company’s daily operations starts at the top with a commitment from the executive team. Their buy-in and support serve as an example to the organization to invest with purpose in policies and practices that create a workplace where diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) ideals can be realized. When this is done right, and employees feel they can be their true selves at work, you’ll find your team members become even more passionate about their work and the organization.

But what does authentic executive leadership in this area really mean? It starts with a willingness to invest resources. If companies want to have a steady, continuous stream of diverse talent, they must build the infrastructure; the approach can’t be “plug and play.” This type of investment comes in many forms, but one important foundation is investing in early-in-career talent and providing an environment where employees can learn and grow – both personally and professionally. We have seen time and time again that people gravitate toward workplaces where they can advance their careers, and where they feel a sense of purpose in their work.

Activities for investment in early career-starters include partnering with local schools and community colleges to help expose young people to life science careers. In addition, we have found that establishing long-term partnerships with industry organizations like BioTech Partners is another great way to invest in emerging talent starting in high school and through college.

To increase engagement with more diverse talent across all levels, we have also found success by being involved with, and collaborating with, groups like National Sales Network (NSN), Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), and Life Science Cares.

Initiatives can’t just be outward facing, though. The importance of DEIB policies and programs needs to be reinforced internally as well. Across the board, companies must make a commitment to ongoing education and learning around DEIB-related topics for employees. This helps to embed DEIB in the fabric of corporate culture. It also helps members of the executive team gain perspective and develop a deeper understanding of lived experiences of those who are underrepresented so that they, too, can understand and authentically believe in the importance of DEIB and champion it in not just words but actions as well.

For example, one thing we have found to be helpful is to invite a diverse range of outside speakers who share different perspectives, with the goal of raising awareness and understanding across the organization. We have also brought in employee training programs that provide tools and teach important skills for navigating and resolving anything from misunderstandings to micro-aggressions.

Internal efforts can extend into daily operations as well. For example, our interviewers and hiring managers have the opportunity to go through Interview Skills and Unconscious Bias training. This is something companies can implement to expand the sourcing channels to find more diverse talent and ensure their talent acquisition team, interviewers and hiring managers use fair and equitable hiring practices. Supporting Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) is also an invaluable way to foster connections among employee populations and build opportunities for allyship. At Ultragenyx, our six ERGs supporting women, people of color, Asian and Pacific Islander employees, LatinX team members, LGBTQIA+ employees and remote workers are an essential part of our company culture and create opportunities for two-way conversations about topics that are critically important to these communities. Our ERGs are also consistent drivers of innovation and ERG members are among some of our most engaged employees.

For companies with a global footprint, it’s also important to recognize there will be nuances in approach across geographies since differences in culture affect the implementation of DEIB strategies. In these instances, effective DEIB efforts start with research to understand local culture and expectations and leverage local expertise into what would be most meaningful for that region or country. It’s important to foster “cultural humility,” a practice that involves acknowledging limited knowledge and investing resources in those with firsthand experience. If companies learn to recognize bias towards, for instance, a U.S.-based culture, they will be better able to adopt a mindset of learning and personal growth to embrace different cultures with openness. In partnership with local employees, companies can create a roadmap for each region to accomplish shared DEIB goals.

Ultimately, effective DEIB policy is about creating an environment where everyone feels seen, heard and understood. If companies can learn to be willing to ask questions and be intentional about DEIB efforts, then when there is a disconnect or places of tension related to DEIB topics, employees and executives alike will be well-equipped to engage with genuine curiosity and compassion. When we invest in DEIB with purpose, we can see the larger mosaic taking shape which is what every company needs to bring their best ideas to life.

For more information about Ultragenyx and its efforts to create an environment where all team members can bring their whole selves to work, please visit: https://www.ultragenyx.com/join-our-team/culture/

About the Author

Kenyatta Parker
Director, Inclusion & Diversity – Ultragenyx

As the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) at Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Kenyatta Parker draws from 18 years of expertise in communications and public administration to enhance the company’s DEIB strategy, enriching its organizational culture. His track record includes pioneering DEIB initiatives, training modules, and marketing drives that boost belonging and empowerment. Before Ultragenyx, Kenyatta steered DEIB at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and the Houston Fire Department, elevating promotion rates for marginalized groups and enhancing inclusivity through diverse projects. Passionate about uplifting historically marginalized voices, Kenyatta is committed to transforming entities by fostering collaborative spirit.

The post Effective Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Programs Require Purposeful Investments appeared first on MassBio.

The day began with MassBio CEO and President, Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, laying the foundations for the day’s presentations, reiterating why DEI and health equity are so important to MassBio and sharing the actions we are proactively taking to move the needle. This included the open invitation to the groundbreaking of Bioversity, our new workforce training center to prepare underserved residents to access careers in the life sciences.  

Kendalle then welcomed Petrina Martin Cherry, Vice President of Community Engagement and External Affairs at Boston Medical Center (BMC) for our opening keynote. Petrina walked through BMC’s model for advancing health equity and economic mobility, describing the realized need for us not to see this work as charity, but as essential to repairing the damage done over history which has resulted in the inequities we see today.   

Our panel on clinical trial diversity explored the many facets of the topic that need to be carefully examined and actions taken in order to deliver equity in drug development, from design to recruitment and everything in between. Hosted by MassBio’s Director of DEI, Tom Browne, our panelists shared their own experiences of participating in clinical trials and being prescribed medicines that were known to have harmful effects on others like them. Not dwelling on the negatives, the panelists also celebrated the ways they have seen clinical trials done well and some lessons for attendees to consider when trying to improve treatments for underrepresented populations. In regards to the urgency of getting this right, Laura Williams, Chief Medical Officer at Ardelyx stated simply, “the patients are waiting”. 

Joining Laura on our panel was:  

• Sheila Phicil, Director of Innovation at Boston Medical Center  
• Roberto Vincent, Director of Clinical Operations at Sarepta Therapeutics  
• Colette Philips, President & CEO at Colette Phillips Communications  

Heather Vono, Supplier Diversity Senior Program Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, delivered a special talk on how diversifying a company’s supply chain not only supports the financial prosperity of minority-owned businesses but also the health of their employees and communities from which they are born and operate.  

It was important for us to create a space for collaboration where attendees could digest what they’d learned from our speakers and workshop this into actionable takeaways. Attendees spoke in small groups, facilitated by the talented Gina Morales-Taveras of Genunity, about their own experiences and hopes for the future if we are to successfully direct our focus and resources where they’re needed most. Discussions tackled issues such as prejudice and stereotyping, identity, religion, chronic pain, and healthcare costs, to name just a few. 

Delivering our closing keynote was Crysta Dungee, US Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Takeda. Crysta shared her experiences in trying to counter (often justifiable) reluctance and distrust by diverse populations to the health care system and how we can all be more inclusive and action-oriented in order to remove barriers and connect with patients and their families.    

The day ended with a networking reception with food and beverages provided by the following diverse vendors:  

• BarNoirBoston 
• Fresh Food Generation 
• Kush by Saba 

Thanks to the team at CommonWealth Kitchen for helping us to source these vendors. 

If you’re looking to do more in health equity or DEI, reach out to MassBio’s Director of DEI, Tom Browne, at diversity@massbio.org.  

The post In Pictures: MassBio’s 2023 DEI Conference appeared first on MassBio.

The Trust Challenge in Healthcare

“By behaving in ways that build trust with one, you build trust with many.”

When I think about the importance of building trust with employees, patients and communities as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) leader, those words by Steven M. R. Covey are my personal mantra. I often reflect on ways to build trust in healthcare, and the challenges associated with its inverse: the deep-seated distrust patients in underserved communities often feel due to historical and systemic inequities in the U.S. healthcare system. Distrust and erosion of trust can feed into reluctance and hesitancy, and impede the possibility of trusted connections.

But how do we move away from distrust and hesitancy? At Takeda, trust is a foundational component to enacting our patient-centric vision. Yet sometimes building trust feels elusive due to deep-seated past hurts nursed by some communities for generations. I’ve found that using actionable steps to approach and build trust among my team, within my organization and in my community is critical. The very first step is deep listening—listening with the intent to learn and connect. It is in this place of greater connection and openness that meaningful collaboration takes place. This is where you can find Takeda, deeply rooted in the community, listening.

Consider this:

• Confidence in the healthcare system has decreased over time. In 1974, 54% expressed a great deal of confidence in “the people running” medicine. In 2021, fewer than four in 10 adults (38%) said they had a great deal of confidence.¹
• Inequities of care persist, as evidenced by ongoing and disproportionate impact on patients in underserved communities. Lack of trust in healthcare remains an issue in the U.S., particularly among individuals who identify as Black, Asian, Hispanic and Native American.^2-4

When I think of these trust barriers, along with barriers from social and structural determinants of health, it is clear how important it is to engage in authentic trust-based collaborations and aspire to more equitable healthcare engagements to impact patient perception and improve outcomes.⁴

Tips to Build Trust in Healthcare

Here are some actionable steps you can consider on your path to building trust within your organization and beyond:

1. Defining Trust: Outline Your Vision and Map Out Steps to Get There

• While there is increased awareness of the importance of prioritizing DE&I overall, it is critical to spell out your vision, strategic priorities and concrete goals.
• Be intentional about aligning your priorities with your company’s core values and business objectives. Don’t forget to be a trustworthy champion and back up your vision with tangible actions.
• Be clear. If there is a disconnect between what you say and what you do, there is a real risk of eroding stakeholder trust within your organization. Consider aligning your words with actions, or “walking the talk” and sharing transparent updates on challenges or progress in how you’re achieving your stated goals. These are foundational steps that demonstrate caring, competency and honesty— the building blocks of trustworthiness.⁵

2. Fostering Trust: Look Inward to Look Outward

At Takeda, we consider how to enable a diverse workforce with equitable representation at all levels. We consider how we can best equip leaders with trust-building skills and behaviors that drive an inclusive workplace culture for all our people.  

For your organization, this could include:

• Leveraging data to inform how you’re hiring, developing and retaining underrepresented talent.
• Offering anti-bias and cultural humility training to advance inclusive leadership and help retain skilled diverse workers.
• Fostering ongoing dialogue with employee resource groups to listen and understand how you’re doing to cultivate an inclusive workplace culture that empowers your employees.
• Aligning on DE&I priorities, plans and success criteria with leadership.

Creating internal DE&I opportunities for ongoing communication, transparency and collaboration set the stage for employees to consider how best to help patients achieve better health and a brighter future.

3. Facilitating Trust: Identify Diverse Patient Needs with Community-First Lens

• Embrace engaging with trusted community-serving organizations that understand the barriers to equitable care for their underserved patients.
• Ground your desire to facilitate trust in relationships by listening and communicating. Identify like-minded partners who understand the challenges to equitable care for diverse patients in their communities and explore possibilities of building trusted relationships based on shared values and priorities.
• As you forge connections, confirm planned actions with community stakeholders by co-developing culturally resonant resources to help patients and address barriers to equitable care.
• Adopt an approach rooted in cultural humility—it’s vital to authentically connect with communities. By fostering awareness, providing education, ensuring language access, respecting cultural beliefs, and collaborating with community leaders, you can help ensure patients from all backgrounds feel heard, understood, and respected.

++++++

Building trust is a worthwhile journey that can take time, effort and ongoing sustained commitment, but the prospect of building trust towards a better and more inclusive future for patients is what inspires me.

About the Author

CRYSTA DUNGEE
Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Takeda

[Have a tip to help build trust in healthcare? Find me on LinkedIn]

Crysta Dungee is a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) thought-leader who has over a decade of experience in transforming organizational culture and advancing underrepresented leaders. She approaches DEI from a people-first lens with the belief that all leaders can develop the personal awareness and key competencies to lead inclusively. She currently is the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Takeda.

References

1. Robert J. Blendon, John M. Benson; Trust in Medicine, the Health System & Public Health. Daedalus 2022; 151 (4): 67–82. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_01944.
2. Leslie Read, Leslie Korenda, Heather Nelson . Rebuilding trust in health care. Accessed July 7, 2023:  https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/trust-in-health-care-system.html
3. Carole A. Robinson, “Trust, health care relationships, and chronic illness: A theoretical coalescence ,” Global Qualitative Nursing Research 3 (2016); Johanna Birkhäuer et al.,
4. “Trust in the health care professional and health outcome: A meta-analysis ,” PLoS ONE 12 (2017), no. 2.https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/trust-in-health-care-system.html#endnote-sup-1
5.  Hall M. A. (2006). Researching medical trust in the United States. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 20, 456–467. doi: 10.1108/14777260610701812.

The post Building Trust in Healthcare: Strategies for Engaging Patients and Communities appeared first on MassBio.

The 2023 BIO International Convention at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center was an incredible display of the scientific achievements and offerings of MassBio members and the impact they continue to have within and outside Massachusetts. It was particularly impressive to witness how DEI was given its rightful place on the agenda, particularly at the Massachusetts “State of Possible” Pavilion. Not only were three talks specifically DEI and Health Equity focused, but DEI was featured in nearly every presentation. 

Joining me for a fireside chat on “Perspectives on DEI in Biotech” were Dr. Paul Rowe, MD, ATSF, Vice President, and Head of Global Medical Immunology at Sanofi, and Johanna Jobin, Global Head of Corporate Reputation & Responsibility at Biogen and the Executive Director of the Biogen Foundation. Much of our discussion hinged on the realization that pursuing an understanding of DEI-related issues and demonstrating inclusive behaviors is everyone’s responsibility all the time. Every interaction an employee has at work can affect their perception of the life sciences industry and their future stability here in the Commonwealth. 

Both Paul and Johanna explained how, even without DEI in their core responsibilities, they understand the influence they have as leaders in their own fields. Johanna shared a number of initiatives she has championed to build a more diverse workforce at Biogen. This includes partnerships with Project Onramp and The Partnership, and Johanna made reference to how supporting the newly created Bioversity will contribute to key efforts to not only prepare diverse populations for careers in the life sciences, but truly welcome them. Paul, who oversees a large global team, stated that it’s imperative to not only make sure clinical trials are representative of the populations that companies are trying to serve, but that environments are created within companies where those who provide a diversity of thought and perspective feel supported and empowered to speak up and take action.  

This focus also complimented what we heard in our “Possible Talk” on health equity with Dr. Reginald Swift of Rubix Life Sciences. RubixLS aims to tackle disease diagnosis disparities and therapeutic outcomes for underrepresented patients. Reginald called out the need to not have the needs of diverse patients and populations as an afterthought but to have them at the heart of the way we design, develop and deliver our products and services.  

Sitting in on the presentation by Dr. Alison Burklund and Dr. Amogha Tadimety, co-founders of Nanopath, delivered insight into how their company plans to increase the speed of gynecologic infection identification. One of their motivations to start Nanopath? To counter well-documented medical biases that keep women from getting the care they need. By improving the accuracy and accessibility of rapid diagnostics they aim to make care more equitable and reduce the chance of women having to take time away from work due to the discomfort of infections. 

Each of these experts brought a common and consistent message that intentional efforts must be made to ensure that workforces and patient populations are both diverse and inclusive. Anyone who stopped by for these talks left more committed than ever to this work.

To find out more about the efforts of our MassBio members and for actionable takeaways to help support your own internal efforts, register for our upcoming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference on July 20^th. 

The post DEI in focus at BIO 2023 appeared first on MassBio.

Featured keynotes:  

• From charity to equity: Trina Martin Cherry, vice president of sales, marketing, and community outreach at Boston Medical Center (BMC), will set the stage for the conference by speaking to the example BMC has set when they pivoted from charity to health equity during COVID-19 and in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. 

• Building trust: Crysta Dungee, head of DEI at Takeda, will speak to efforts to make inroads into historically underserved populations that have experienced health disparities by closing the trust gap between health systems and underserved communities. 

Achieving clinical trial diversity: The life sciences industry has a patient-driven responsibility to tackle the significant and persistent injustices, obstacles, and disparities that have created health inequality. With more than 6,000 clinical trials going on in Massachusetts at any given time, the state can play a leadership role in promoting diversity throughout the drug development process.  

• A panel of experts will focus on best practices for diversity in clinical trials, common missteps, and how to avoid them, and creating a roadmap to success with tangible steps to take to increase diversity in clinical trials. 

Workshopping clinical trial diversity: GenUnity’s Gina Morales-Taveras will facilitate an interactive workshop that will encourage participants to take what they have learned from the panel and other speakers to make the clinical trials in the provided cancer and cardiology case studies more diverse. 

• This is an opportunity for participants to apply best practices, ask questions, collaborate, and maximize the practical takeaways from the conference. 

Delivering on supplier diversity: How does Thermo Fisher Scientific find new diverse suppliers? What does the inclusive onboarding process look like? How does Fisher work with their diverse supplier programs? Get these questions and more answered by Heather Vono, Senior Program Director, Supplier Diversity at Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

Networking with others in the DEI and HR spaces: There will be ample time for participants to expand their networks, share personal experiences, and build the relationships that will lead to progress toward mutual DEI goals.

Register for the conference!

The post <strong>MassBio DEI Conference to explore health equity</strong>  appeared first on MassBio.

At the Boston While Black Summit 2023 I moderated the panel, Biotech and Life Sciences is the Future of Boston – Where is the Black Talent?  The energy and enthusiasm to participate in the enormous economic opportunities presented by the industry’s success is tangible.  

What happens when you show up at that dream job, and you are the only one.  How do you create a safe space in predominantly white workplaces? 

Being the only person of color can be a daunting and isolating experience.  POC professionals often have to navigate microaggressions, stereotypes, and other forms of discrimination that can take a toll on their mental and emotional wellbeing.  However, there are ways to create safe spaces for ourselves, even when we are the only one. 

Here are five strategies we can use to create safe spaces when you are the only person of color at work: 

1. Set boundaries

Setting boundaries is crucial to creating a safe space for yourself at work.  Boundaries define what is acceptable and what is not.  It helps communicate your needs and expectations to your colleagues.  As a POC, you may encounter insensitive remarks, jokes, or stereotypes that make you feel uncomfortable or disrespected.  By setting boundaries around such conversations and behaviors, you can protect yourself from harm and make it clear to your colleagues that you will not tolerate discrimination or microaggressions. 

2. Connect with other professionals of color

Connecting with other POC professionals can help you feel less isolated and more supported at work.  Seek out opportunities to network, mentor, or collaborate with other POC professionals in your industry or city. Join a professional organization, attend networking events, or participate in online communities where you can share your experiences and learn from others.  Having a community of like-minded individuals can provide you with a sense of belonging and validation that can help you navigate the challenges of being the only person of color at work. 

Although you may be the only one, take heart that you are not alone.  There are industry affinity groups created to connect and support POC.  Check out Blacks in Bio, Latinos in Bio, and OUTbio.  Don’t forget to check out Boston While Black if you’re in the greater Boston area. 

3. Advocate for diversity and inclusion 

Advocating for diversity and inclusion in your workplace can create a safer and more inclusive environment for all employees.  Connect with MassBio’s DEI department to find foundational tools, thought partnership, and best practices at, diversity@massbio.org 

4. Take care of yourself 

Taking care of yourself is essential to maintaining your mental and emotional wellbeing at work.  Prioritize self-care by taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, or engaging in activities that bring you joy.  Make sure to balance the demands of work with your personal life, and seek support from family, friends, or a therapist who can provide you with a safe space to process your experience. 

5. Seek allies 

Seeking out allies who are willing to support you and advocate for your needs can be incredibly helpful when navigating a predominantly white workplace.  Allies can be coworkers, supervisors, or other people in your workplace who are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment. They can help amplify your voice, provide you with feedback, and offer you support when you need it. 

Being the only person of color at work can be a challenging experience, but there are ways to create safe spaces for yourself. By setting boundaries, connecting with other POC professionals, advocating for diversity and inclusion, taking care of yourself, and seeking allies, you can create a safer and more inclusive workplace for yourself and others.  Remember, you have the right to be treated with respect and dignity, and you deserve to work in an environment that values and celebrates your diversity. 

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MassBio is excited to announce the launch of our Bi-Annual DEI industry survey. This survey is designed to help us gain a better understanding of the diversity of our industry’s workforce, how companies are progressing on their DEI journeys, and identify areas that need further attention. This year we welcome all Massachusetts life sciences companies to participate.

Contributing companies will share various aspects of their workforce diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, and more. Additionally, we are seeking information about a company’s DEI strategies, successes, and where more work and focus is needed. The survey is anonymous, and the data collected will be used only in aggregate to create a comprehensive report that will be publicly released.

Our inaugural DEI report, published in November 2021, continues to serve as benchmark when discussing diversity of the Massachusetts life sciences. Our findings that gender diversity on Boards improved by 164% between 2017 – 2021 showed that targeted, intentional actions across our community could lead to real, lasting change. Similarly, the report’s finding that only 15% of the industry workforce identify as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, or Indigenous versus 32% of the Massachusetts population showed that we have a lot of work left to do.

But the 2021 survey is also a baseline for us to measure against this time around. The question before us now is: two years later, are we doing better?  Help us find out by completing the survey today.

The survey serves another critical role: it helps companies hold themselves accountable for their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. By regularly surveying the workforce, companies demonstrate their commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace. This can also help build trust with employees who may feel more comfortable sharing their experiences with their employer.

However, it’s important to note that while biannual diversity surveys are a tool to track metrics, larger efforts to advance DEI in the workplace are essential to significant and lasting change. To be effective, companies must also take concrete actions to address the issues identified in the survey. This may include targeted recruitment and outreach efforts, awareness-raising events and manager trainings, and more inclusive policies and practices.

Conducting a survey like this on a regular cadence creates accountability, tracks progress, and empowers companies and the industry to strive to be better. When a workforce is diverse, a business is stronger. When equity is a priority, access and opportunity rise. When a workplace is inclusive, a culture of belonging takes hold.

The post Is the Massachusetts Life Sciences Industry Making Progress on DEI? Let’s Find Out appeared first on MassBio.