As of March 21, 2025, MGH鈥檚 main entrance on Coxwell Avenue is closed as the next phase of our redevelopment project begins. Patients and visitors can use the new temporary main entrance on Sammon Avenue between Coxwell Avenue and Knight Street. View our campus map.
#IamMGH tells the stories of our people. In honour of Black History Month, we鈥檙e centring the voices and lived experiences of our Black staff and physicians throughout February. Meet Jennifer Sampson, manager of the Emergency Department (ED) at Michael 九游体育 (MGH).
鈥淚 am a registered nurse and I have a master's degree in Disaster Planning and Emergency Management. I鈥檝e held various progressive positions at MGH, including working as a frontline nurse in the ED and roles where I鈥檝e supported primary care as a project manager and opening the province鈥檚 first COVID-19 Assessment Centre. Previous to this role, I served community members as the manager of Acute Respirology, General Internal Medicine and the Prolonged Ventilation Weaning Centre of Excellence.
I got into health care because I鈥檓 passionate about health equity and access to care. Through my experiences as a clinician, I鈥檝e been able to see first-hand the barriers that make it difficult for some people to access care and what happens when health care providers don鈥檛 have a deep understanding of a community鈥檚 cultural needs. Often, these inequities stem from gaps in education and are amplified by a lack of diversity in the teams that are designing health care programs for community members accessing health care services.
Throughout my career, I have remained dedicated to building partnerships and fostering environments that address social determinants of health that negatively impact the ability of a diverse member of the community to access care. There is evidence-based literature that illustrates the negative implications these barriers have on the health outcomes of diverse populations, including Black and Indigenous people and those who identify as LGBTQ2+. I believe it鈥檚 imperative to review this literature so we can co-design strategies that ensure positive health outcomes for our diverse community.
To do this work, we will need to continue a multifaceted strategic approach that involves educating staff, physicians and patients, as well as fostering an environment that creates space for sharing diverse patient experiences and implementing anti-racism and anti-oppression tools. We need allyship from leaders and health care executives to amplify this important work. It would also be beneficial to collaborate with community members and other organizations in the health system that are leading diversity and inclusion work so we can look to our strengths and learn from one another. There鈥檚 definitely been progress in this area over the years, but there鈥檚 more work for us to do.鈥�