Mission, Vision, and Values

Principles of Teamwork
Essentia Institute of Rural Health (EIRH)

EIRH Mission

Essentia Institute of Rural Health exists to improve the health and healthcare for the rural
populations in the United States through research and education.

EIRH Vision

By 2018, Essentia Institute of Rural Health will be recognized as a national leader in research and
education for the health and healthcare of rural populations in the United States.
In order to achieve our mission and vision, the employees of EIRH will strive for success by
applying the following Principles of Teamwork to our everyday interaction with our colleagues and
customers. These principles serve to reinforce our organizational values of quality, hospitality,
respect, justice, and stewardship. It is “who we are” as an organization.

Innovative

To be a leader in research and education, we will empower and encourage all staff members to
think and act creatively, resourcefully, and with intellectual curiosity.

Mission-focused

We will remain focused on our common mission and the greater good of the organization.

Professional

We will be known for our skill, knowledge, and performance of high quality work in an efficient and
ethical manner.

Collaborative

Both internal and external stakeholders will feel involved and engaged as we pursue strategic
goals that will lead to mutual success.

Communicative

A balanced and productive work environment will be achieved through open, respectful, and
constructive dialog.

Ethical

We seek a culture that is based on honesty and integrity, where each individual is responsible and
accountable for their own actions, while being attentive and supportive of others. 

The Essentia Institute of Rural Health Values

Quality

• Discovery of scientific knowledge that may benefit others.
• Honoring critical thinking, reflection, innovation, creativity, integrity and personal responsibility.
• Providing opportunities for human subjects to participate in research regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, geographic location and socioeconomic status.
• Conducting research that is innovative, significant, rigorous and relevant to the needs of our patients and communities.
• Providing educational activities that meet the needs of our learners and improves their knowledge, competencies and performance, and the health of their patients.
• Protecting human subjects from avoidable risks in research.
• Providing care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical research decisions.

Hospitality for a Community of Scholarship

• Creating a climate that promotes free scholarship, problem solving, peer review and peer recognition.
• Listening and responding sensitively to all.
• Extending flexibility, openness, transparency and tolerance to all persons and all ideas.
• Working proactively towards a shared vision.
• Supporting the culture of a learning organization.

Respect

• Cherishing and promoting the worth of all human life.
• Treating persons with dignity and reverence without regard to age, gender, race, minority or economic status.
• Honoring and supporting the ideas, work and scholarship of each person.
• Protecting the freedom of scholars to pursue the truth as they see fit.
• Protecting research subjects' privacy and confidentiality.
• Ensuring informed consent and voluntary participation for all human subjects in research.

Justice

• Advocating policies for the poor and powerless.
• Maintaining respectful working relationships.
• Eliminating prejudice in ourselves and in institutional policies.
• Promoting open and fair decision-making based on valid information.
• Striving to develop a community of free and innovative scholarship and learning.
• Working towards a more just world.

Stewardship

• Utilizing human resources responsibly.
• Providing wise and responsible use of all material and monetary resources.
• Promoting conservation of resources and energy.
• Managing people, finances and property wisely on behalf of others.
• Ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations regarding research and conditions of grants and contracts.

Teamwork

• Collaborating as diverse members of a team to achieve a common goal.
• Striving to be the collaborators of choice with both internal and external partners.
• Sharing talents and time to help others grow and be successful.
• Accepting and valuing ideas of others, especially when different from one's own.
• Appreciating and supporting the efforts and contributions of coworkers.
• Speaking positively of others, eliminating negativity.
• Following up on commitments and keeping one's word.
• Subordinating personal recognition to the effectiveness of the whole.