Equity is a principle used in ethics to map out justice within a system, in this case a system of medical care delivery. A just medical system is one that treats all within that system – patients, providers, and staff – fairly. Fairness begins with raw equality or treating each the same as every other in the system, i.e. to each person an equal proportion of goods, services, benefits, burdens, respect, and care. But in health care, we know that not all persons have the same needs all the time so equal portions of resources may not create a truly fair system. So we modify raw equality with a notion of equity in which we determine the needs of each person in the system and commit to meeting their needs equally, regardless of inherent differences in people. Hope Clinic’s role is to create a healthy community regardless of who our patients or colleagues are, what they look like, where they come from, what they believe, or who they love. A healthy community can only be achieved by focusing on equity and meeting of the relevant needs of each wherever they stand in life. A healthy community is achieved not only through quality medical care, but also economic stability; education; the social and community context; and neighborhood/ structural environment. These are interdependent with patient care, health education, and community health.   We are committed to maintaining awareness of and developing collaborative approaches to combat the contributing health inequities experienced by our vulnerable populations.

We embrace diversity and everything that makes each person unique with her/his own unique needs. This focus is core to our mission and the creation of a vibrant, equitable clinic environment. The diversity of our staff creates a healthy and creative work environment and enables them to provide the best care to every one of our patients, no matter their differences in needs. An equal level of quality care designed to meet their health needs is given to each of our patients regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, geographic background, disabilities, life experiences, skills, socio-economic differences, and talents. We cannot excel without recognizing, embracing, responding to each person’s uniqueness.

Together we work hard to make this clinic a diverse and inclusive community of healing and well-being. Including all staff, providers, volunteers, and patients in the decision-making processes that contribute to creating our healthy community is core to our equity commitments.  Encouraging and respecting a broad range of opinions, ideas, and perspectives drives creativity, innovation, and excellence. Our continued engagement as a member of the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the National Association of Free Clinics and a variety of local community initiatives and programs highlights our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Our end goal is to guarantee that anyone who walks through the doors of Hope Clinic, patient or staff, will know that they are welcome, safe, respected, and supported.