Promoting an Environment of Diverse Care

Summary

To address the changing demographics of its patient community and provide equitable care, University Hospitals’ Board of Directors instructed and encouraged hospital leadership to “incorporate diversity in the culture of the organization.” Senior leaders created a Diversity Council of employees, physicians, nurses and administrators. This council, working with the Cultural Diversity Committee of the UH board, focuses on three main goals: (1) ensuring a multicultural group of administrative leaders, (2) recruiting and retaining a talented pool of minority faculty and other health care professionals and (3) building partnerships with the minority- and female-owned businesses in greater Cleveland. By focusing on these goals, UH is working to provide excellent care and services to a diverse patient base and to promote an environment of care that respects diversity.

Results
• In 2011, minorities represented 28 percent of UH’s board, an increase from 2.5 percent in 2009.
• The number of African-American faculty doubled between 2005 and 2010, increasing from 1.8 percent to 3.7 percent of the total number of faculty.
• Since 1991, UH has increased its representation of minority physicians on the house staff from 3 percent to 10 percent.
• Between June 2010 and March 2011, the percentage of diverse nursing population increased from 14.1 percent to 15 percent.

Background
To ensure a multicultural group of administrative leaders, UH created the Edgar B. Jackson Jr., MD, Endowed Chair for Clinical Excellence and Diversity. The physician appointed to this permanent staff position has the opportunity to mentor and serve as a role model for minority medical students and post-graduate trainees. The endowed chair is named for Dr. Jackson, chief of staff emeritus and senior advisor to the presidents and CEOs of UH and UH Case Medical Center. Dr. Jackson also chaired the Diversity Council from 2005 through February 2011, until Donnie Perkins was appointed the new vice president for diversity and inclusion.

To recruit and retain talented minority faculty and health care professionals, the David Satcher Clerkship was established in 1991 at UH to honor David Satcher, MD, former U.S. surgeon general and director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. By hosting 10 to 15 minority medical students each year, this clerkship offers hands-on exposure to career opportunities in an academic medical center in an urban setting, “the ideal culturally and ethnically diverse environment for minority residents to receive training.”
In addition, to build partnerships with minority- and female-owned businesses, UH emphasizes supplier diversity. From 2004 to 2007, diversity spending at UH increased 300 percent. In 2007, UH created a fulltime position with responsibilities for specifically identifying minority vendors, making the business case for supplier diversity and supporting the program throughout the system.
UH also developed the Union Construction Industry Partnership (UCIP) and Apprentice Skills Achievement Program (ASAP), which helps prepare young adults for the workforce as they participate on UH construction projects. UCIP/ASAP is a union-sponsored construction pre-apprenticeship training program open to minorities, women and economically disadvantaged individuals residing in Cleveland, its “empowerment zones,” or other communities in Cuyahoga County. Other program partners are Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and the Cleveland mayor’s office. For the 2009–2010 school year, almost 80 percent, or 23, of the high school students who completed the program are working, though not all in the construction field; several students have enrolled in higher education programs. UH hopes its construction training program will serve as a model for CMSD to partner with other major construction projects in Cleveland.

Other successful outcomes of UH’s diversity initiatives include an Employee Celebration Committee on Diversity and the Minority House Staff Organization. The committee, comprised of 21 non-management employees, plans hospital events to celebrate diversity. It also evaluates and organizes educational programs and projects to promote improved understanding and appreciation of diversity at UH. One member of this committee serves on the Diversity Council. The Minority House Staff Organization helps recruit minority staff and serves as a social and peer support group for minority house staff at UH as well as for minority medical students at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

These initiatives help the health system as it strives to innovate and improve care for the communities it serves. It improves equity by building a racially and ethnically diverse workforce—leadership and frontline staff—that reflect the community. Further, racial and ethnic concordance between patient and provider improves adherence by patients to their treatment plan. Finally, a diverse hospital workforce will enhance communication and understanding between patient and provider, creating opportunities for building trust and making care more patient-centric.

Contact:
Donnie Perkins, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion
Donnie.Perkins@UHhospitals.org
http://www.uhhospitals.org/aboutuh/tabid/1341/diversityatuh.aspx