Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) has installed a new Pride Progress Pride Flag crosswalk to mark the beginning of Pride Month on June 1.
The installation of the Pride crosswalk is one of many steps the CMH community is taking to show its ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“This step comes with the understanding that when we create safer and more inclusive spaces for everyone, we improve staff wellbeing, enhance the patient experience, their outcomes, and quality of care,” said Stephan Beckhoff, manager, of Public Affairs and Communications at CMH.
The Pride Crosswalk was installed on May 19, in advance of Pride month activities. The official unveiling will take place on June 8.
“We hope that it will be a great day where everyone can share what the pride crosswalk means to them. We encourage all members of our CMH family to wear Pride attire. This will be in conjunction with activities that will take place during the rest of the month,” said Mari Iromoto, senior director of Strategy & Performance at CMH.
Iromoto said CMH is the first hospital in the region to have a Pride crosswalk and one of the few to have one installed in the province.
During the month of June, CMH will be providing staff with learning opportunities.
“The goal is to educate people and to enhance their understanding and familiarity with issues faced by the LGBTQ2+ community,” Iromoto said.
“We will focus education on gender and sexuality, pronouns, and pronoun usage and also the significance of each of the colours of the new progress flag.”
The Pride Progress Pride Flag Cross Walk crosswalk will be a permanent fixture at CMH.
“It will continue to be refinished and refreshed. It is meant to be with us,” Iromoto said.
“This goes back to one of our main goals at CMH and that is to provide exceptional health care and we know that this comes with being inclusive and respectful. Our goal is to have the crosswalk be just one signal to show that commitment to our community,”
Members from the community are invited to the official unveiling on June 8.
“The crosswalk is a symbol,” Beckhoff said.
“And it is only one example of our efforts to make our space more safe and inclusive for everyone.”
