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UPMC Presbyterian-Shadyside Celebrates Graduation of First Inaugural Diversity Mentorship Program Class

David A. Snyder, MSN, CRNA, Mentorship Program Coordinator; Michelle Gilbert, Employees of Color & ERG Leadership Team; Sandra Rader, DNP. MSA, RN, NEA-BC, President of UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside; Danielle Robinson, Mentorship Program Coordinator; Dana Thompson-Smith, Employees of Color & ERG Leadership Team.
L to R: David A. Snyder, MSN, CRNA, Mentorship Program Coordinator; Michelle Gilbert, Employees of Color & ERG Leadership Team; Sandra Rader, DNP. MSA, RN, NEA-BC, President of UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside; Danielle Robinson, Mentorship Program Coordinator; Dana Thompson-Smith, Employees of Color & ERG Leadership Team.

The UPMC Presbyterian-Shadyside Diversity Mentorship Program celebrated the graduation of its inaugural class on May 14, 2024. The ceremony, held at Scaife Hall, honored eleven mentors who successfully completed the program. Each mentor received certificates, gift cards, and commemorative ink pens.

Throughout the year-long program, mentees participated in four comprehensive training sessions: “DISC: Your Behavioral Style,” “Owning Your Professional Growth,” “Strengths Finder,” and “Creating Brand You.” The program’s participants, both mentees and mentors, represented a variety of departments across the hospitals, including Food & Nutrition, Nursing, Environmental Services, Pharmacy, Volunteer Services, Information Systems, Sports Management, and Patient Relations.

Daniele Robinson speaks about the program objectives at the podium during the ceremonyLaunched last year, the Diversity Mentorship Program is dedicated to providing mentorship opportunities to emerging leaders of color at UPMC Presbyterian and Shadyside hospitals. Its mission is to empower these employees through one-on-one mentorship, fostering relationships that support personal and professional growth. The program is coordinated by Danielle Robinson, a Project Analyst with Nursing Education and Research at UPMC Presbyterian, and David A. Snyder, MSN, CRNA, from UPMC Shadyside. It operates under the auspices of the UPMC Presbyterian-Shadyside Employees of Color & Allies Employee Resource Group (ERG).

The program’s vision is to enhance UPMC’s culture through diversity, inclusion, and belonging for employees of color by offering mentorship opportunities to emerging leaders. The program’s key objectives are to develop emerging leaders, promote diversity, foster career development, improve culture, and enhance employee retention.

The Employees of Color & Allies ERG is excited to announce that recruitment for the next cohort of the Diversity Mentorship Program will begin soon. UPMC employees, please stay tuned for more information on UPMC’s internal Viva Engage social networking site.