Since opening its doors in 1897, Rush has welcomed a diverse community of patients, employees and students. Rush College of Medicine was the first in America to graduate an African American physician.
Rush puts diversity and inclusion at the center of all that we do for our patients, staff and the community we serve. Rush is a national leader in developing policies that make a difference in the lives of the people who work here. Today, Rush continues to reflect the diversity of the neighborhoods and populations we serve. We are routinely ranked near, at or above national and health care industry averages.*
At Rush:
- 72% of employees are women.
- 50% are minorities.
- More than 130 employees are veterans.
- 46% of Rush residents and fellows are minorities.
Creating a culture for and the development of women leadership is a key initiative at Rush. That means we focus on establishing gender diversity in leadership where women are fully integrated and equally represented across all levels of the institution. As part of this effort and to grow gender equity in medicine, Rush has helped develop the Women In Medicine Summit, a conference designed to identify barriers to the medical field that women physicians face and develop action plans to address them.
Rush is a national leader in LGBTQ health care equity. Our strong culture of inclusion makes the recruitment, retention and promotion of LGBT physicians, educators, researchers and employees across the organization a priority. In 2018, for the 10th consecutive time, Rush was named a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” in the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) Report.
Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion also extends to our veterans in the armed forces, along with individuals with disabilities. Our veterans can plug into the Rush community with career codes they can use on our employment site. These codes align their military skills with relevant job openings at Rush. Our ADA Task Force ensures that our campus is accessible in all areas of the Medical Center and University. Rush was also named one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” based on high scores it achieved in the 2019 Disability Equality Index.
At Rush, we also believe that addressing health equity means removing obstacles to good health so everyone can attain their full health potential. Our commitment to health equity has been recognized by Vizient with a perfect score in “equity of care,” which measures patient outcomes in relation to gender, race and socioeconomic status.
Internally, Rush’s Diversity Leadership Council ensures diversity is a key driver within initiatives in leadership and accountability, employee hiring, retention and promotion, and training and communication.
Rush believes diversity, inclusion and equity are powerful, uniting forces. And no health care organization is more dedicated to demonstrating that among its employees and within its communities.
*Statistical percentages near, at or above national and health care industry averages, according to recent articles and reports by Healthecareers.com, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other benchmarking organizations.
