J.E.D.I. Champion of the Month: Kristin Yates

The J.E.D.I. office would like to recognize Kristin Yates for her contribution to LifeBridge Health’s justice, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. Kristin is Senior Human Resources Business Partner for Sinai Corporate Offices. She has been a key member of LifeBridge Health’s J.E.D.I. Council since May 2023. She always goes above and beyond to promote equity and inclusion at LifeBridge Health, including engaging in personal education to expand her knowledge and be positioned to make a difference. She exemplifies the energy and passion needed to make our J.E.D.I. work a success.

Q1. How long have you been with LifeBridge Health and what is your current role?

A: I’ve been with LifeBridge Health for a little over two years. I am currently the Senior HR Business Partner for Sinai Corporate Services.

Q2. You bring so much passion into the work you do — what motivates you?

A: I would say my motivation comes from being a Black woman in America. For most of my HR career, I was the “only” in the room: the only woman, the only Black person, the only Black woman, the youngest. This intersectionality shaped my experiences from the very beginning and forced me to speak up to ensure my voice was heard and that others who look like me were represented in those spaces as well.

Q3. As Senior Human Resources Business Partner for Sinai Corporate Offices and a member of LifeBridge Health's Black Culture Employee Resource Group and J.E.D.I. Council, what are some of your aspirations for the Life Bridge Health community?

A: As a member of the Black Culture Employee Resource Group, I want to help develop and implement programs, resources and tools that help support and enhance the experience Black team members have here at LifeBridge Health. This can mean promotional opportunities, attending trainings, obtaining certifications or degrees to expand one’s knowledge or simply being asked to be a member of a project team. I also want to help challenge and disrupt one’s thinking to ensure we’re being intentional in our actions to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for ALL team members. As an HRBP, one of my responsibilities is to assist leaders with team member relations issues. This results in the leader having uncomfortable conversations with underperforming team members and subsequent corrective action. I always try to offer a different perspective that the leader may not have considered. Doing so allows me the ability to influence change and disrupt any unconscious bias that may exist, so I definitely aspire to do more of that with each and every encounter.

Q4. Since starting at LifeBridge Health, what have you found most rewarding?

A: Well of course being named this month’s J.E.D.I. Champion! Other than that, I can’t say there’s one specific event to pinpoint. What I always find rewarding is the positive feedback I get from leaders and when they come to me for guidance. They’re not just asking what to do so they can comply with HR policies but they’re also asking how they should approach, which is a more thoughtful approach and defines what it means to CARE BRAVELY; it also embodies what I believe Human Resources should be. Seeking my guidance lets me know they trust me and is an example of being inclusive so that feels great!