“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”
These words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ring as true today as they did more than half a century ago when spoken by the iconic civil rights leader.
As Autism Awareness Month is observed this month, it’s an opportune time for healthcare leaders to embrace inclusivity, innovation, and the invaluable contributions of diverse professionals in shaping the future of their industry.
Continuing the Diversity Legacy
Progress has been made, but efforts to build diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)in healthcare need to remain a high priority. You can move the needle within your organization by:
- Proactively educating yourself and your teams. Stay abreast of DEI developments and how they impact your organization and the healthcare industry. Provide training and educational resources beginning with new hire orientation and continuing throughout every employee’s tenure.
- Analyzing data pertinent to your workforce. As you fine-tune your DEI strategy, leverage data, including engagement scores, to see where areas of opportunity exist. Solicit feedback through such forums as anonymized surveys, group discussions, and one-on-one conversations. Ask yourself: Do team members from different demographic groups or departments report different experiences? Does your staff accurately represent the communities you serve?
- Keeping DEI at the top of your business priority plan. Your DEI initiatives should clearly align with and be woven into your long-term business and strategic plans. Don’t let them sit on a shelf or be limited to your HR department. Start by getting full buy-in from the board and C-suite levels down. Then, provide all the resources needed to affect ongoing, meaningful change.
- Incorporating DEI into your talent management strategies. Carefully scrutinize where you source talent. Be sure you have a diverse team involved in your recruitment process. Take every possible effort to reduce bias and barriers. Include sources such as minority programs and professional organizations for diversity as you maintain your talent pipeline.
- Take the lead in addressing community issues. Address any structural inequities or social deterrents to health, including housing, nutrition, economic opportunities, and community wellness, in the communities served by your organization. Cultivate relationships with faith-based, nonprofit, neighborhood, and other trusted leaders and work alongside them for a better future.
DEI Best Practices
Among leading research findings on DEI in healthcare, one study has identified the following global best practices:
- Making DEI an essential element of business strategies
- Tailoring efforts to meet local needs
- Embedding DEI throughout organizations
- Enhancing DEI commitment via external partnerships
- Optimizing the potential of employee resource groups
- Leveraging DEI for innovation and business development
- Building and maximizing the role of DEI councils.
Let’s Work Together
With an eye on the highest DEI and other standards of excellence, the AlliedUP Co-op team can help you find game-changing talent to build your diverse, dynamic team. Let us be your trusted source for highly experienced temporary, contract, and direct-hire allied healthcare professionals.
