Our Commitment to DEI and Health Equity
Our commitment to justice, dignity, and belonging takes two forms: a culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI); and a focus on advancing health equity for all.
Our DEI Philosophy
We recognize that to provide the best support for patients and their families, our staff and volunteers must reflect the diverse perspectives and backgrounds of the communities we serve. At LLS, DEI is a critical part of all we do. We believe our differences are our greatest strengths as we work together toward a more equitable world without blood cancer.
Our Culture
We are actively fostering an inclusive environment for staff and volunteers where everyone feels welcome, seen, and heard. Recognizing that DEI is ongoing and ever-evolving, we are continuously learning, improving, and holding ourselves and one another accountable. We invite the entire blood cancer community to join us in this effort.
Championing DEI
We’re cultivating belonging and psychological safety through our 11 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), each open to anyone who wishes to be a member, with nearly 80% of staff participating in one or more groups and an average of 20 LLS-sponsored ERG events annually.
We’re fostering education through self-paced learning modules and thought-provoking group discussions. We offer 25 hours of training on belonging, dignity, and justice, as well as a self-paced, in-depth learning curriculum that encourages self-reflection and leads to a Changemaker Certificate at completion. We take an innovative approach through experiential learning platforms like Film Forward and provide educational opportunities for board members and volunteers across the country.
We’re pledging to create an inclusive culture through an active membership of CEO Action For Diversity and Inclusion the largest business-led initiative to advance DEI in the workplace.
We’re standing against religious and ethnic discrimination through the Anti-Defamation League Workplace Pledge.
We’re supporting our employees facing their own cancer diagnosis through the Working with Cancer Pledge.
We hold ourselves accountable to employees through annual surveys and active listening.
Prioritizing DEI enables us to better serve our shared goal of health equity for all.
Health Equity Work Highlights
We’re advocating for policies like Medicaid expansion because we believe patients, including those with low-incomes or disabilities, should never be blocked from life-saving treatment. In 2023 alone, we helped to expand Medicaid coverage in North Carolina, South Dakota, and New Hampshire. Additionally, we successfully defeated federal proposals that would have made nearly 2 million people with low incomes ineligible for Medicaid coverage.
We're implementing our IMPACT Grants program, which includes the following major medical cancer centers: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; City of Hope, Los Angeles; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University; Mayo Clinic, Rochester; Weill Cornell Medicine; and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. These facilities will provide underserved communities and at-risk populations with education and access to blood cancer clinical trials.
We’re furthering first-of-it-kind research designed to help us understand – and ultimately dismantle – barriers to equitable access to care for blood cancer patients. Studies funded through our Equity in Access program are generating evidence that informs how LLS supports and advocates for underserved patients.
We’re empowering communities through nationally-recognized programs like Myeloma Link, which build sustainable relationships with underserved populations, raise awareness of blood cancers and LLS, and ensure patients and their families are connected to resources and timely, state-of-the-art treatment, including clinical trials.
We’re helping to advance new state and federal laws that require a deliberate approach to recruiting underrepresented patients to participate in clinical trials – because everyone deserves a fair shot at accessing cutting-edge treatment, regardless of their background, age, income, or location.