Greg van Wyk, Chief Executive Officer of Mediclinic Southern Africa, says a values-based culture puts our patients first and defines the behaviour of employees and stakeholders.
We are proud to present our 2023 transformation publication, showcasing our tangible progress and efforts towards building a more diverse and inclusive workplace. This encompasses our engagement with and support of our community, our suppliers and other vital organisations.
Our vision is to be the healthcare partner of choice and our purpose is to enhance quality of life.
In South Africa, racial diversity is a common focus in the transformation conversation. But there is so much more to diversity. A truly diverse organisation embraces racial, socio-economic, and demographic differences, as well as differences in academic or professional backgrounds. It also accommodates a variety of opinions, backgrounds, religious beliefs, political beliefs, gender identities, sexual orientations, heritage, and life experiences.
For transformation to be truly successful, we need everyone to value it. Our people must actively experience this goal so we can collectively fulfil this promise to our clients and patients.
“For transformation to be truly successful, we need everyone to value it.”
Greg van Wyk, Chief Executive Officer of Mediclinic Southern Africa
Building empathy
In my first year as CEO, my personal strategic goals were to instil a deep sense of care and empathy within the organisation, and an understanding of how important diversity and inclusion (D&I) is to best serve our diverse client base.
To achieve our purpose, we need to grow our empathy even more – reaching into other people’s circumstances and seeing things from their perspectives. A key focus area for me is to help our employees understand how to be more empathetic – both with each other and their patients. We want patients from diverse backgrounds to feel reassured, safe, and cared for. When both our Mediclinic people and the patients they care for share a variety of backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences, we can create a more comforting environment for our patients and, ultimately, a better healthcare experience.
The healthcare industry is both challenging and rewarding. We want to be more agile when we expand into new care settings and respond to things we need to improve in existing operations. Innovation can be uncomfortable, but it’s necessary. It’s what makes us grow and change for a better future.
A key message I’ve been driving within the organisation is showcasing the benefits of having a growth mindset, where every challenge is seen as an opportunity to do greater things. As an organisation, we encourage curiosity, creativity, and continual learning to find new solutions to complex problems. Remaining curious about new, better ways of thinking and doing things is a key part of overcoming life’s hurdles. Organisations that don’t keep learning and adapting will lose their competitive edge. We need to remain relevant in an ever- changing healthcare environment.
What we're doing
Digital transformation is a key part of our strategy to steer and entrench a growth mindset for employees. We encourage our people to embrace technology and the new opportunities it brings to improve patient care. Read about our ongoing initiatives on page 12.
As part of our comprehensive transformation strategy, Mediclinic values enterprise and supplier development as extensions of our ability to positively impact our community. We retain a wide range of suppliers to facilitate services across the business – from warehousing and distribution to security and incident management technology. Mediclinic aims to uplift local communities and expand ways to help the people who matter to us. Meet our local suppliers on page 26.
- Extract from the Transformation Publication 2023