James C. Burroughs II joins Children’s Minnesota as chief equity and inclusion officer
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – (Jan. 22, 2019) – Children’s Minnesota is pleased to welcome James C. Burroughs II, JD, as its new chief equity and inclusion officer.
Burroughs will be responsible for developing, implementing and advocating for a comprehensive health equity, inclusion and diversity strategy at Children’s Minnesota. He will serve as an advisor to Children’s medical and operational leaders to address inequities in the health care system and advance efforts to align equity with clinical objectives and priorities.
“Research has shown that children of color in Minnesota rank among the lowest in the nation for their health and well-being. This staggering disparity is an example of the effects of structural racism in our society, and the disadvantages non-white children face when it comes to receiving quality health care,” said Maria Christu, JD, chief legal officer and vice president advocacy and health policy, Children’s Minnesota. “In his role as chief equity and inclusion officer, James will play a critical role in helping us identify the current barriers that exist in our system and create strategies and programs that will provide all children with the best possible health outcomes.”
“Equity is a critical part of health care quality, experience and value for our patients and their families,” said Emily Chapman, MD, chief medical officer and vice president medical affairs, Children’s Minnesota. “We are thrilled to have James in this role to help us continue to examine our practices, policies and structure that can improve outcomes for those who have been historically marginalized, as well as build an employee culture that embraces diversity and inclusion.”
Burroughs has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of non-profit management, diversity and inclusion and employment law. He has helped both for- and non-profit organizations develop workplace diversity and inclusion training, policies and procedures that promote hiring and retention of employees of color, and partnerships with communities of color and other diverse communities.
Most recently, Burroughs was the Chief Inclusion Officer for the State of Minnesota under the Office of Governor Mark Dayton. Burroughs has a background in education, and has held leadership positions at Summit Academy as the chief operating officer and general counsel, as well as executive director for the office of equity and inclusion at Minneapolis Public Schools. Burroughs has also held human resources and diversity and inclusion consultant roles at Common Sense Consulting, Fredrikson Human Resources Consulting, LTD, and PRO Group, Inc. He is an attorney and has held faculty roles at Hamline University School of Law and the University of Minnesota School of Law, and practiced law at the United States Office of the Federal Defender and Dorsey & Whitney LLP.
“Children’s Minnesota has an excellent reputation for quality and outcomes, but we have an obligation to do more to address the barriers that cause the health disparities our children experience, both within our walls and in our community,” said James Burroughs II. “I am honored to have the opportunity to transform the health care quality and experience for the diverse families of our community, and foster an employee culture where everyone feels welcome and celebrated for what makes them unique.”
Burroughs has a juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., and completed his bachelor of arts in political science at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga.
Burroughs is active in the Twin Cities community as board member for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, Memorial Blood Center, and Step with Soul.
About Children’s Minnesota
Children’s Minnesota is the seventh largest pediatric health system in the United States and the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children, from before birth through young adulthood. An independent and not-for-profit system since 1924, Children’s serves kids throughout the Upper Midwest at two free-standing hospitals, 12 primary and specialty care clinics and six rehabilitation sites. Additionally, Children’s is Minnesota’s only Level I pediatric trauma center inside a hospital dedicated solely to children. Children’s maintains its longstanding commitment to the community to improve children’s health by providing high-quality, family-centered pediatric services and advancing those efforts through research and education. This work is made possible in large part by generous philanthropic and volunteer support from individuals and organizations throughout the state and region. An award-winning health system, Children’s received Magnet® recognition from The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and was verified as a Level I Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons in 2018. Additionally, Children’s is regularly ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top children’s hospital. Please visit childrensMN.org.