Building and Engaging a Diverse Workforce

Roswell Park continues to strive for a more diverse workforce, that exceeds the diversity of the region. Below are 2022 numbers (across roughly 3,700 employees).

Our employees 2022

We remain dedicated to building and retaining a diverse workforce and to helping increase job opportunities for all Western New Yorkers.

• 32.13% of new hires in 2022 were people of color
• 35.9% of qualifying expenditures in 2021 were awarded to certified Minority-and-Women-Owned Business Enterprises
• 64% of our workforce identifies as female

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Building the pipeline

Roswell Park believes that more diversity in medicine, research, management, and the healthcare workforce requires introductions and interventions as early as possible. These initiatives range from educational and employment opportunities to promoting a healthy environment for children to learn and grow. Below are a few of the many ways Roswell Park reaches out to youth and our community:

• Summer youth employment: Each year Roswell Park hires 100 inner city youth for the summer. We work with Buffalo City Hall on recruitment, but Roswell Park pays 100% of the young Western New Yorker's paycheck. Our summer youth work across campus in labs, clinical spaces, facilities, beautification projects in nearby neighborhoods, and with partner organizations close to their homes.
• NIH-funded NARCH Grant partnership: 14 Indigenous high school and college students from the Akwesasne tribe of upstate New York participated in educational and experiential learning focused on cancer science through classes and lab activities.
• Education to employment nursing pipeline: Partnership with Trocaire College to provide a path for underserved and diverse individuals from education to employment with Roswell Park in nursing and radiology professions.
• Our Stories program: We delivered, in collaboration with Buffalo Public Schools, five weeks of culturally relevant summer internship learning based on the book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. The book provided the backdrop for a curriculum that explored health disparities, cancer, clinical trials, the racial implication of science and health and more in-depth topics presented by experts to 15 minority Buffalo Public High School Students.
• Buffalo Prep partnership: Buffalo Prep, an academically focused minority student program with 30 years of experience, allowed us to introduce 130+ of their 5th through 7th grade students to Roswell Park as a research and academic institution. The students experienced the Roswell Park campus, were lead in activities by our Masters and Doctoral students and were taught cancer-related concepts and laboratory techniques.
• Summer experiential programs: High school, college and professional students (nursing and physician’s assistant students) are introduced to real-world cancer research. The programs vary in length from 7 to 10 weeks and impact the future plans of the alumni. Between 2018 and 2021 we hosted 112 students in the program and 20% have been from underrepresented minority backgrounds. Fifteen alumni have returned for additional training or educational opportunities at Roswell Park. Roughly 25% of those who returned were URM. Finally, six of the experiential program alumni have entered our graduate programs.

Roswell Park/Howard University program

This program enables honors biology sophomores from Howard University to deeply explore an interest in cancer research under the mentorship of researchers at Roswell Park.

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Employee Network Resource Groups (ENRGs)

To engage our workforce and foster an inclusive environment, Roswell Park created staff-led networking groups, called Employee Network Resource Groups (ENRGs). These groups provide direct access to management, allowing the groups to raise issues on behalf of employees. They also provide a space for networking, sharing resources, and celebrating the culture of the group. Roswell Park actively promotes the Employee Network Resource Groups to all staff. 

Career development 

Forging new pathways for advancement

Roswell Park management has worked to identify positions and careers that lack a clear path to advancement and to implement career ladders, providing employees more opportunity for leadership and better pay without switching careers. There are careers at Roswell Park that do not require a college degree, removing educational barriers for outstanding leaders. Roswell Park recently implemented new career ladders and advancement opportunities for the following fields:

• Environmental Services
• Patient Access
• Patient Care Technician
• Surgical Technician
• Laboratory Technician
• Administrative Support

Exploring opportunities, building credentials

Roswell Park assists current employees and members of the community in exploring opportunities at Roswell Park and building the credentials to get the job. At least a third of minority new hires come to us through outreach programs, including job fairs and job-training events in underserved communities. This is a free service that supports prospective candidates in:

• Exploring career options and Roswell Park departments
• Helping to match skills to the right job
• Knowing the requirements for the job desired
• Getting the necessary training
• Building the winning resume
• Meeting the people in target department
• Selling skills

The program is held periodically in the community and on a continual basis every few weeks for current employees.

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The Environmental Services Department is thrilled when we see ES Team members seek out training and advance within Roswell Park. It helps us to expand our partnerships across the campus and helps further our drive for a best in class patient experience. It is a pleasure to support people in finding and using their professional talents to the fullest. Matt Dauria, Director of Environmental Services