The Health and Hospital Corporation’s board of trustees has renamed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Now, it’s called the Cultural Excellence Committee.
The move comes on the heels of Gov. Mike Braun’s efforts to root out DEI initiatives across the state. But a spokesperson for HHC, which operates the Marion County Public Health Department, Eskenazi Health and Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services, said the change has nothing to do with the Republican governor.
“It was part of an internal review focused on clarity and alignment with HHC’s values and ongoing strategic planning,” spokesperson Curt Brantingham wrote in a July 8 email to Mirror Indy. “Equitable health care need not be a political issue.”
The committee, which shares updates on diversity efforts with HHC’s board of trustees at monthly meetings, was renamed after a unanimous vote on June 17.
The committee first started in February 2022. Board members approved a plan to look at diversity in HHC’s workplaces, the experiences of patients and community partnerships.
At the time, they cited a 2020 ordinance from the City-County Council that directed all city agencies to end racial disparities in health, criminal justice, education and employment.
Brantingham said HHC remains committed to protecting the health of all residents, including those from historically underserved communities. That includes addressing the social determinants of health that can affect a person’s outcomes, including access to medical care, housing, transportation and nutrition.
“This mission has not wavered in the face of shifting political winds,” Brantingham wrote, adding that despite the name change, the committee’s responsibilities remain the same.
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end all federal programs and spending on diversity initiatives.
Braun kicked off his term as governor by signing a similar order to “replace DEI ideology” and programs in state agencies with “MEI” — merit, excellence and innovation. His administration found 350 examples of DEI in state government, per a July report. That included grants focused on reducing racial health disparities and a maternal health equity coordinator position, both of which were eliminated.
The governor’s order does not apply to HHC’s DEI committee because it is not a state agency. The corporation is governed by a board of trustees appointed by the mayor of Indianapolis, the City-County Council and county commissioners.
But HHC, which lobbied against the Indiana legislature’s health cuts this year, previously received millions from the state to support low-income Eskenazi Health patients and public health programs.
Indy Documenter Andrea Drygas covered the Health and Hospital Corporation Board meeting on June 17, 2025. 📝 Read more about what happened.
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Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.
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