About the HMS Community Values Initiative

The community values initiative was designed to engage the HMS community in the development of shared values that embody how our community works together in pursuit of our institutional mission. The HMS community values statement articulates how we work and interact with each other, and what it means to be a member of the HMS community. What we do here at HMS matters, and this initiative is an opportunity for us as a community to reflect not just on what we do, but on how we do it.

We are on the cusp of life-changing breakthroughs that can improve the health of people everywhere. Helping people live longer, healthier lives is more than a goal; it’s our responsibility. We operate like no other institution. We are the very heart of medicine, with more research benches and bedsides within a 5-mile radius than anywhere else in the world. We are constantly driving vital resources, diverse thinking, and leadership into the whole body of science and medicine. We not only work toward our goals, but do so with certain core values and principles.

Process

To kick off this initiative, John Czajkowski, Executive Dean for Administration, wrote a letterto invite the HMS Community to participate in the Community Values Initiative.

The Community Values Project Team was assembled with sponsors and a committee which was appointed to aid in the development of the statement based on community feedback. A list of the project team, sponsors and committee can be found here.

Feedback was sought through focus groups, a survey and an interactive Town Hall meeting. Twenty-five focus groups were held in various locations around campus and even at some affiliated hospitals, where over 325 Faculty, Staff and Students registered. The focus groups were well attended and provided us with diverse perspectives and excellent feedback.

A survey was sent out to the community in order to garner feedback on the draft values statement, and an interactive Town Hall session was held utilizing TurningPoint Technology to see which values individuals here feel are most important in order to bring their best selves to work each day.

Outcomes

The community values statement will be incorporated into employee and faculty orientation and training and will be communicated throughout HMS as a reminder of the commitment and expectations we hold for all members of our community. We will integrate these values into our daily work lives, so that they may serve as a useful guide to inform our priorities, decision making and actions. The values statement is intended to present organizational norms and expectations and to augment the HMS mission statement by defining our shared commitment to the HMS community.

Thank You

On behalf of the Community Values Project Team, committee, sponsors and contributors, we would like to thank the HMS community for their thoughtful engagement in the development of the values statement. We strive to honor the statement by recognizing and practicing these core values each day.

Suggestions

If you have suggestions for ways in which the HMS community can continue to honor the community values statement, please fill out this online form. We look forward to hearing your ideas!