Why I’ve Outgrown “DEI”—And What Comes Next

September 11, 2025 Dr Sharon G.E. Washington

For years, I’ve found myself hesitating when organizations asked me to “come do a DEI training.” Not because I’m not deeply committed to equity, inclusion, and justice—but because the frame of “DEI” has long felt incomplete for the depth of transformation I’m actually facilitating.

“The frame of ‘DEI’ has long felt incomplete for the depth of transformation I’m actually facilitating.”

So when I read the recent Forbes article, “Why Companies Are Renaming DEI Functions—And What It Means for You”, I felt both seen and affirmed.

The article captures a trend that’s long been in motion—organizations recognizing that “DEI,” as a term and structure, often fails to encompass the full breadth of people strategy, organizational culture change, leadership accountability, and trauma-informed transformation that real equity work requires.

Beyond the Acronym: What’s Missing in “DEI”?

In healthcare especially, DEI can too often become shorthand for compliance trainings, surface-level conversations about diversity, or HR-managed initiatives that remain disconnected from leadership strategy or frontline realities.

“In healthcare especially, DEI can too often become shorthand for compliance trainings… disconnected from leadership strategy or frontline realities.”

What gets lost?

• Somatic practices that regulate the nervous system and help mitigate unconscious bias.

• Conflict literacy that builds brave spaces for dialogue and transformation—not just safety.

• Institutional assessment tools that move us beyond representation and into accountability.

• Integration of health equity into hiring, decision-making, and care delivery—not just workforce demographics.

At Sharon Washington Consulting, we’ve been doing that deeper work all along. We don’t just “train on DEI”—we help leaders build reflective, equity-rooted, trauma-informed, and community-aligned cultures that can withstand resistance and political headwinds.

Introducing the BRIDGE Framework

This is why I created the BRIDGE Framework—a scalable, evidence-based system designed to embed equity into the ecological layers of an organization. BRIDGE stands for:

• Building: Laying a data-informed foundation for institutional equity, from leadership commitment to structural audits.

• Reflecting: Cultivating critical consciousness through power-conscious dialogues, trauma-informed coaching, and structured feedback loops.

• Impacting: Moving beyond performative actions to track progress, assess gaps, and define meaningful KPIs.

• Developing: Supporting continuous growth through mentorship, longitudinal learning, and inclusive leadership development.

• Grounding: Integrating somatic awareness and stress regulation to build resilient teams—especially in high-pressure environments like healthcare.

• Ecological Alignment: Aligning institutional change with broader systems—community partnerships, policy shifts, and public health goals.

“BRIDGE doesn’t treat DEI as a workshop or department—it’s a full-body, whole-institution approach that bridges the gap between values and practice,..."

BRIDGE doesn’t treat DEI as a workshop or department—it’s a full-body, whole-institution approach that bridges the gap between values and practice, good intentions and structural change.

Why This Matters in Healthcare

Healthcare isn’t just another industry. It’s where life and death meet bias and burnout. And right now, we are watching a rollback of federal DEIA support under the current administration

—threatening programs that diversify the workforce, address health disparities, and foster inclusive clinical care.

That means our work must go deeper. It must be durable. And it must be aligned with the actual conditions that leaders, teams, and patients are facing.

The institutions I work with—from residency programs to community clinics—are dealing with high turnover, increased burnout, and intense political pressure. And yet, they’re also striving to center marginalized voices, build trust, and close gaps in patient outcomes.

They don’t need more “diversity days.” They need strategic support that’s rooted in healing, rigor, and sustainability.

Renaming Isn’t Running Away—It’s Realigning

So when companies rename their DEI departments to “People & Culture,” “Organizational Equity & Strategy,” or “Workforce Wellness & Belonging”—they’re not abandoning the work. They’re reframing it so it better reflects the mission.

That’s exactly what I’ve done with BRIDGE. And it’s what many equity leaders are now being called to do.

We need language that honors both the pain and the possibility of this moment.

We need structures that hold both data and dignity.

We need strategies that restore hope and hold systems accountable

"We need strategies that restore hope and hold systems accountable"

And most of all, we need to remember: this isn’t just a trend. It’s an evolution.

Ready to Build What Comes Next?

If you’re a healthcare leader, residency director, or organizational change agent ready to move from checkbox DEI to embodied, enduring equity strategy, I invite you to learn more about the BRIDGE Framework and schedule a free consultation.

Let’s build systems that don’t just talk about equity—but live it.

👉 Schedule a consultation

FAQ

• Is renaming DEI just optics? → Short answer: language shift + scope expansion + accountability metrics. Harvard Business Review

• How does somatic practice connect to equity work? → Short answer with the mindfulness/burnout citations. Frontiers and SAGE Journals

• What’s different about BRIDGE vs. “DEI training”? → Process + ecological alignment

  
  

If you lead people, you shape conditions. The question isn’t whether to keep “DEI,” but whether your systems create equity under pressure. BRIDGE gives you a way to prove it—consistently, measurably, and with care.