Diversity, equity & inclusion

[MUSIC PLAYING] This neighborhood told us we need more housing and we need more housing with supportive services to help people who are transitioning out of homelessness get back on their feet. This is our response to that. I'm Allison Pence, and I'm the director of Community Engagement at Allina Health.

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In 2020, the board of directors set aside 1% of our overall investment fund to be used in community, and this building is the first investment coming out of that our money flowing into community resulting in, in this case, affordable housing. We are sitting in Midwell Apartments in the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis, literally in our backyard within a block of Abbott Northwestern within eyesight of the Allina Commons. This building has 86 affordable units. 11 of them were set aside primarily for households that are exiting homelessness.

As part of our impact investing work, Allina Health made a $3 million loan to the Greater Minnesota Housing fund. They in turn made a loan to the developer of this property, and by providing the developer with a loan with much lower rates than you can get in the market, the developer was able to offer these units in this building at an affordable rate, which means people who can't necessarily afford market rate apartments now can access housing in this community. The Greater Minnesota Housing fund will continue to use the same $3 million over and over and over again and make investments in other properties. And ultimately we believe that our 3 million is going to turn into about $40 million worth of housing development, and the greater Minnesota Housing fund will eventually return the dollars to us, which is how we consider it an investment not a grant.

We started this as part of our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging strategy. I think Allina is really showing and is leading in this area that it is possible to invest in housing, it is possible to invest in the social determinants of health of our patients, and so we are thrilled to be able to help provide space like this to make a difference in this community.

I grew up on the White Earth Reservation. I'm a descendant of the Ojibwe tribe. With a family that loved the outdoors, we fished, there was a lot of hunting, a very charmed upbringing. I was very lucky. But I never met a Native American physician so the idea of being a physician was not really on my radar.

Listen to your heart.

Not until the University of Minnesota contacted me before my senior year of high school, and had said, you know what? I think you should think about being a doctor. I mean, that was-- that was huge. I'm Christine Athman, I'm a family physician.

And we'll let you know as soon as we get that result back.

I went to undergrad at the university of Minnesota, Morris, and then I finished up at University of Minnesota, medical school in 2007. And the mentors that they connected us with were Native physicians who had already walked that path. I would not be the physician that I am today without those programs and without those people.

So in 2013 I became assistant director at the Native American Center for Health Professions, and I was no longer the mentee. I had turned into the mentor. And it was a joy to be working with students.

You're kind of going in and out.

And it's been wonderful to watch them be successful in their careers. Now that I am a doctor and I'm busy practicing medicine, mentorship is still extremely important to me. Engaging and motivating and cheering on and being a source of support for our students. It's a joy to be working with students and have the privilege to pay it forward.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Allina Health and all of us at United Hospital celebrate our LGBTQ+ community. We support a diverse and inclusive workplace, where events like this are so important to us as well as our employees, patients, and the community.

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The raising of the pride flag and bringing everyone together is important to show that no matter who you are, that you belong, that you can come here, and you will be accepted and taken care of for who you are.

[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]

Happy pride!

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