HealthPartners statement on anti-Asian racism

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – HealthPartners President and CEO Andrea Walsh and Co-Chairs of HealthPartners Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Cabinet Yeng Yang, MD, and Steven Jackson, MD, shared the following statement on anti-Asian racism:

As an organization dedicated to health and well-being, HealthPartners continues to condemn all forms of racism and hate-fueled violence based on race, religion and other dimensions of human diversity in our community and nation.

Sharing the nation’s pain and outrage following Tuesday’s mass murder in Atlanta, which included six women of Asian descent, we stand together in denouncing these abhorrent acts. This incident only adds to our urgent concerns about recent reports of anti-Asian racism and violence rising dramatically in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. This senselessness, like all acts of violence and racism, must end.

We acknowledge the hurt and pain felt in our Asian American community, and we affirm our concern and care for the health, well-being and safety of our members, patients, colleagues and community members of Asian descent. Within our organization, we commit to listening, to speaking out, and to offering support for our colleagues as we work to create a community where every person is welcome, included and valued.