Porter Hospital has created a (DEI) Council to “help create a more just, welcoming and responsive place for people of all colors, nationalities and religions to work and receive health care services” (Addison Independent March 4).  They have even hung a flag stating Black Lives Matter and will be incorporating signage in Spanish for non-native speakers. I admire these efforts, but think they should go a bit further.
They also address the disparities that the LGBTQ have experienced in health care. Perhaps some lessons in treating these individuals in the many facilities governed by UVM should also be addressed. I cannot count the number of times we have been met with quiet sneers, rolling of eyes, etc. while being treated. Yes there is still plenty of work to do in these fields. You do not need to raise the Rainbow Flag, but it does help — especially in those facilities that claim to welcome “all.”
Lois Farnham
Middlebury