Rationale for the Design and Implementation of Interventions Addressing Institutional Racism at a Local Public Health Department.

Purpose: The Bureau of Communicable Disease (BCD) at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene developed and implemented a multi-level intervention to: 1) establish bureau-wide race consciousness; 2) provide opportunities to examine the contemporary manifestations of racism impacting institutions and communities; 3) develop praxis applying a racial equity and social justice lens to communicable disease surveillance; and 4) center the experiences of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) staff. Methods: A staff committee designed and implemented a multipronged initiative grounded in Public Health Critical Race (PHCR) praxis. The findings from a qualitative report focused on the experiences of POC staff formed the basis of the initiative. Results: Three major themes were identified in the report (Microaggressions Report) as factors that resulted in institutional inequities within the workplace: race-based biases in promotion of staff; lack of opportunity sharing for professional growth; and dominant power relations silencing the voices of POC staff. Based on findings from the Microaggressions Report, BCD designed and implemented seven interventions including: 1) Racial Identity Caucusing; 2) Multimedia Learning; 3) All-staff Workshops; 4) Social Breakout Committee; 5) Surveillance and Data Equity; 6) Core Values Development; and 7) Committee for Hiring, Retention and Promotion. Conclusion: We describe the rationale, design, and implementation of a multipronged intervention at a local health department as a strategy to address institutional racism. The creation of a Microaggressions Report and the PHCR methodology framed our ongoing effort to improve workplace culture and promote equitable opportunities for POC staff.