Learn About Diversity in a Job and Career at Akron Children's

Diversity at Akron Children’s:
More than a word, it’s a way of life.

At Akron Children’s, we’re committed to building a team of professionals as diverse as the communities we serve. Along with providing better care for our patients and their families, being an inclusive and welcoming organization also makes us better neighbors. Learn more about what we’re doing to support our employees and our community.

Veterans bring a specific skill set with them, such as teamwork. They're used to working in such stressful situations - and those are all things that are important here at a pediatric hospital.

Rhonda Larimore
Chief Human Resources Officer, Akron Children’s

To treat every child as we would our own.
To treat others as they would like to be treated.
To turn no child away.

Today those promises remain at the core of all we do and who we are. We believe every voice has the right to be heard, and every person deserves dignity and respect. That’s why we support diversity and inclusion, not just today and not only in our professional lives but in every facet of our lives. As a team, we all follow this pledge to work and live in a more inclusive manner.

I will live the Akron Children’s Promises, including “treat others as they want to be treated.”
I will champion diversity, inclusion and equity, and demonstrate respect and dignity to help our organization to become better.
I will practice intentional awareness to ensure our co-workers, patients and families from diverse backgrounds feel safe, represented and supported.
I will practice inclusive language and behaviors and learn about others and their differences, including their religious and cultural beliefs.
I will speak up and hold myself and others accountable to treat every person with dignity and respect.

Reaching out to our communities

Our ASCEND Program for nursing students provides professional development opportunities and nursing skills to overlooked segments of the population. Offered to groups typically under-represented in the nursing profession, this program prepares students by helping them build communication and leadership skills while ensuring they graduate debt free.

We’re proud of all of the students we’ve been able to help, and we look forward to introducing the next generation to their potential for future employment in a pediatric hospital setting. Learn more about joining ASCEND.

Our Career Launch program is also designed to give employees and community members educational opportunities that will help advance their careers. Learn more about Career Launch.

Honored to be honored

We’re proud of the recognition we’ve earned for our diversity efforts. We’ve been named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers for Women, thanks to our support of female employees and for providing a positive work environment. We also received the Prism Diversity Award from the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) for being a leader in advancing diversity efforts within the nursing profession.

Leading with Diversity

For every director-level opening and above at Akron Children’s, we’re committed to using a diversity search firm to help find candidates. Before extending an offer, we’ll consider a wide range of candidates from all kinds of backgrounds. This will expand our search and ensure that more diverse candidates are considered for each position. Our leadership team will then truly reflect the communities we serve.

More to do

At Akron Children’s, we’re working hard across our organization to encourage diversity and inclusion. To help us achieve our goals, we’re engaging our employees of all areas for feedback and suggestions for making our environment even more inclusive.