Empathy in Action

4/29/2025

A Chatham Hall Connection at Gretna Health & Rehabilitation Center

On Friday, April 25, 2025, Chatham Hall’s Chief Diversity Officer, Deborah Glymph, reunited with a dear friend and longtime Chatham Hall team member, Nurse Lynne, to present at the Gretna Health & Rehabilitation Center. Their audience? Nurses. Their topic? Empathy: The Silent “E” in DEI.

This powerful presentation was rooted in a simple truth: nurses live empathy every single day. They don’t just care for their patients—they care about them, creating safe, human spaces for healing, connection, and trust.

Deborah’s reflections spoke not only to her personal journey but also to the deep and often unseen work of nurses around the world. She reminded the group that empathy—often overlooked in the world of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—is its emotional heartbeat.

Did You Know?

The word “Welcome” is considered the most inclusive word in the English language.
4.9 million nurses currently work in the United States.
As of 2023, nursing ranks #16 among the top 25 most diverse professions in the country.
DEI efforts can be traced to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and even further back to President Truman’s 1948 Executive Order 8891, which desegregated the Armed Services.
The term “Diversity and Equity” was coined by Lewis Brown Griggs in the early 1980s—he continues to speak on privilege and social responsibility to this day.

As Deborah shared in her closing, empathy is more than a feeling—it’s an action. It’s a commitment. And in the hands of a nurse, it becomes a healing force that transcends boundaries. She closed with this quote from K-8 principal, Mr. Salome Thomas-El, of Wilmington, Delaware, while sick in a hospital bed:

“[My nurse] didn’t allow my race, medical condition, or ethnicity to interfere with her belief that I could get better with her help. She succeeded in making that hospital room a place where I felt loved and cared for.”

At Chatham Hall, our mission is clear: Equipping curious thinkers to lead lives of impact. And we know empathy is one of the most powerful tools in that mission.

After all, “The highest form of knowledge is empathy.” – Bill Bullard