About the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at UK HealthCare works to ensure that all healthcare team members are equipped to provide equitable, culturally sensitive care to patients from all backgrounds. We are committed to promoting equity mindedness and offering a culturally relevant lens for all interactions, decisions and communications. We are committed to creating an environment where all people have a fair opportunity to achieve their highest health outcomes and life success.
DEI Leadership
Tukea Talbert, DNP, RN, CDP
Chief Diversity Officer at UK HealthCare
Dr. Tukea Talbert (she/her) is the Chief Diversity Officer at UK HealthCare. An important component of Dr. Talbert's position is connecting UK HealthCare's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts with those of the University of Kentucky, and connecting those teams to the community.
Throughout my life, I have been driven to lead even in times when titles, positions and organizational charts were not a part of my existence. I became a registered nurse at the age of 20, and the need to be responsible, accountable and adaptable came with my choice of career. As I matured chronologically, clinically and professionally, I broadened my scope and boundaries beyond the patient’s bedside. I desired to impact the care environment from a more macroscopic vantage point … through leadership.
I have served in numerous leadership capacities in diverse settings totaling more than 20 years of clinical operations leadership experience. I have managed clinical specialty areas including orthopaedics, general medicine, trauma step-down unit, and oncology in an academic healthcare organization. Other senior executive roles have included Chief Nurse Executive of a community hospital, Enterprise Director for Accreditation & Regulatory Compliance, Enterprise Director of the Office of Quality & Safety, Assistant Operations Executive and Interim Assistant Chief Nurse Executive for the development of a contract with the state to manage the local mental health facility, Eastern State Hospital. All of the previous roles have been in an academic medical center.
Currently, I serve as the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) at UK HealthCare. In this role, I lead and oversee all tactics and strategies to support the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Strategic Plan and its execution. As recognized by others, I believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are not solely important from a moral lens but also imperative from a social justice and economic perspective. My success has been through the development, support and engagement of team members from all backgrounds who continually demonstrate the power of inclusive excellence and togetherness.
I have the honor and privilege to serve as adjunct faculty in UK’s College of Nursing, teaching nurses who are seeking their doctorate of nursing practice degree. In this role, I am consistently reminded of the power of curiosity and the impact of education on the development of critical thinking.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council
The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council is comprised of staff members from across UK HealthCare. Council members collaborate to promote and expand diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the entire enterprise.