Mayo Clinic renaming its DEI office to the ‘Office of Belonging’

ROCHESTER - Mayo Clinic, citing “recent national events,” has renamed its Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity to the Office of Belonging, according to an internal memo this week.

Under the change, staff with titles related to diversity, equality and inclusion work will now be branded “Belonging” employees.

Mayo is also updating its external websites to reflect the new language. For instance, a page on its College of Medicine and Science headlined “Equity, Inclusion and Diversity” in March is now titled “Belonging and Inclusion.”

“Since 2020, Mayo Clinic has intentionally focused on belonging as a cornerstone of staff well-being,” Andrea Kalmanovitz, Mayo’s director of media relations, said in a statement. “In keeping with this focus and recent national events, we’re embracing an opportunity to accelerate Mayo Clinic’s belonging journey to reflect our culture of collaboration and respect and support positive patient experiences.”

The changes come as President Donald Trump continues to target DEI programs at academic and medical institutions that receive federal funding. Trump has said the programs violate federal civil rights law, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

Mayo has received $550 million over the past two years through the National Institutes of Health to fund hundreds of ongoing research projects.

It is unclear if the name change will affect how the office functions. Mayo did not respond to questions about whether any jobs will be impacted beyond the updated titles.

In July 2020, in the wake of civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd, Mayo symbolically “closed the doors on racism” with a $100 million commitment toward efforts to eliminate racism and advance equity within the organization.

The announcement was accompanied by a ceremony in front of the Plummer Building in downtown Rochester, where Mayo leaders ceremonially closed and then reopened the building’s 4,000-pound bronze doors.

It was only the 11th time the doors had ever been closed; other occasions included the death of Sister Generose Gervais, the longtime administrator of St. Marys Hospital, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Mayo’s DEI commitment included pledges over the next decade to bolster recruitment and retention of doctors, nurses and supervisors from under-represented groups, and to invest in increasing the diversity of its patient population.

At the time of the 2020 announcement, Mayo President and CEO Dr. Gianrico Farrugia spoke of the importance of Mayo’s commitment to ending racism, saying no institution or community is immune to the immeasurable harm caused by its effects.

“Discrimination keeps us from reaching the full potential of science and medicine, and our potential as human beings,” Farrugia said. “Discrimination prevents Mayo Clinic from living out its mission and values. Mayo Clinic needs to lead and be part of meaningful and enduring solutions.”

Kalmanovitz did not address what, if any, impact the name change will have on the campaign — only that “Mayo Clinic’s commitment against racism remains.”

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