Duke Health is on a mission to Advance Health Together.
The key word here is “together.” Shaping the future of health care takes the energy, talent and diverse perspectives of all our team members. We don’t want you to fit into our culture — we want you to add to it.
By gathering team members around a unifying purpose, mission, background or activity, affinity groups can help us find a sense of community in a big and complex organization. These groups are started and maintained by interested team members and their allies, and supported by executive sponsorship. The bonds that we form help us feel more connected with each other, the institution, and our community at large.
Duke Health currently has these affinity groups. Meet the groups below and find out more information.
Duke MINDS
Duke MINDS is our community of young professionals. The group works to inspire, engage and develop a sense of belonging across the Duke family by helping young professionals (and the young at heart) form genuine connections, develop their careers, and build meaningful peer-to-peer relationships. For more information, or to join, contact dukeminds@duke.edu.
Duke MINDS
Duke Military Association
The Duke Military Association brings together our internal veteran community. Whether you are currently on active duty, a veteran, a family member or a supporter, the Duke Military Association is here for you. DMA offers network opportunities, provides military-based educational opportunities and works to attract and retain veteran talent. The group also offers community outreach activities. Membership is open to all Duke employees. If you would like to become a Duke Military Association Member, or have questions, please reach out to Dan Bruno at dukemil@duke.edu.
Duke Military Association
Duke Health LGBTQ Alliance
Duke Health LGBTQ Alliance is open to all lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (LGBTQ+) team members within Duke Health, along with colleagues who would like to show their support. Activities include professional networking, social events and community service. If you have questions or would like to join, reach out to alliance@dm.duke.edu. You can also learn more about LGBTQ+ resources at Duke, here.
LGBTQ email
WeLEAD
WeLEAD stands for Women Executives: Learning, Empowering and Developing. This group works to support and inspire women leaders at Duke to grow and thrive by creating connections, empowering them to bring their whole selves to work and providing opportunities to lift up and develop other women across the organization. The WeLEAD community is made up of women at the director level and above. Past activities have included speed mentoring, self-care days and talks from women leaders at the state and national level. To join, contact Patara Johnson (patara.williams@duke.edu).
email
Administrative Professionals
The Administrative Professionals Affinity Group (APAG) was created by and for the professionals who support our leaders and keep things running smoothly. In its first year, the APAG is working on the theme of community. Intended for all administrative professionals from all entities within the Duke Health system, the group is focused on networking, support, and professional development. For more information, please contact apag@duke.edu.
email
Asian American and Pacific Islander
Duke's new Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) affinity group strives to affirm AAPI identities, create a safe space for discussion, serve as a voice for the AAPI community, cultivate a community committed to education and AAPI empowerment and inspire others to become allies.
Their vision is to be a resource for communication endeavors, specific to AAPI, in the Duke community regarding inclusivity and social justice. They value Equity, Community, Inclusion & Engagement, Personal Growth and Education.
If you'd like more information about the group or want to support their efforts, please contact aapi@duke.edu.
Get involved
If you’re interested in starting an affinity group, contact your local human resources leader. They can explain the requirements and operating principles, and guide you through the process to start a new group, which includes completing an application, finding a small group of initial volunteers, identifying targeted members, preparing a mission statement and goals and identifying two executive sponsors. New groups often start small, with a core team of dedicated and interested employees, and grow over time through word of mouth and with help from Human Resources.
You matter
Healthcare is a people-centered profession, and at Duke Health, we find our strength in diversity. When we combine our different backgrounds, perspectives and identities, we create a powerful new energy—one that allows us to advance health together.
