Advancing Diversity in Healthcare: How to Hire for a More Inclusive Health System

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in February 2021. It has since been updated for accuracy and relevance.

Two industry experts share recommendations and actionable strategies that healthcare organizations can use to educate, audit and improve the diversity of their teams.

Key Takeaways

• The importance of prioritizing DEIB+ in healthcare organizations is well documented, with many studies showing that it leads to more equitable health outcomes for patients. 
• In order to successfully hire for a more inclusive health system, ensure that the diversity your organization seeks is reflected in leadership. 
• DEIB+ initiatives should be given the same weight as any other organizational goal in order to truly contribute to health equity improvements in your community.

Many employers consider diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB+) a top workplace priority — and healthcare is no exception. Disparities in health outcomes among racial and ethnic groups disproportionately impact people of color, but studies show that increasing diversity in healthcare organizations not only creates stronger workplaces, but also leads to more equitable health outcomes for patients. 

To learn more, we spoke with experts from Chartis (formerly Just Health Collective), a consulting firm that helps organizations build healthcare systems that are fair, impartial and representative of their communities, and Sentara Healthcare, a 12-hospital nonprofit system in Virginia and North Carolina. Based on their insights, here’s how healthcare employers can advance diversity and inclusion for employees and patients alike.

Diversity in Healthcare — Where to Start? 

Diversity means hiring a workforce that reflects the communities in which you operate. Inclusion refers to your actions and behaviors that create a culture where employees feel equally valued, trusted and authentic; have equal opportunities for advancement; and can fully contribute. DEIB+ is also related to belonging — a feeling of community with the people and environments that make us feel connected; it means your opinions are valued and you can be yourself at work.

But it takes all of these elements to create a workplace culture where employees can thrive. For instance, if you hire a diverse team without considering whether all of them will feel included, this will likely lead to turnover.

Educate Yourself and Your Teams

It’s important for healthcare organization leaders to learn how diversity and inclusion impact the workplace and the industry as a whole. That means proactively seeking DEIB+ training and educational resources to support your team’s development. 

Duane Reynolds, the chief health equity officer and executive director for Chartis, suggests covering a range of topics, including unconscious bias, antiracism, microaggressions and cultural humility, to improve the knowledge, skills and behaviors of healthcare employees. DEIB+ training can also be part of new employee orientation and onboarding.

“To achieve success, this training should be continuous and inclusive of as many employees as possible, including both clinical and nonclinical staff,” says Reynolds.

See How Your Organization Stacks Up

Once you understand how internalized bias and structural barriers impact healthcare, examine your organization through this lens. First, analyze self-reported demographic data to better understand the makeup of your existing staff, then compare this to local U.S. Census data. Does your workforce — including your leadership team — represent the communities you serve? How do promotion and attrition rates compare across demographic groups?

Next, collect qualitative input from employees. Solicit feedback through forums such as anonymized surveys, group discussions and one-on-one conversations. Open the door to meaningful engagement and feedback by proactively sharing your leadership demographic and metrics. Learn more about their experience and invite them to share ideas for improvement. 

When Sentara Healthcare created their diversity and inclusion strategy, they “leveraged workforce data and our engagement scores to identify where our immediate opportunity areas existed,” says Dana Beckton, Sentara’s chief diversity officer. “We also listened to our customers, patients and employees. With their feedback, we created programs that addressed their needs.”

Treat Diversity in Healthcare Like Any Other Organizational Goal

Unfortunately, it’s common for organizations to treat DEIB+ initiatives like checking a box, simply participating in one training session or making performative statements. Other times, DEIB+ efforts are siloed in the HR department rather than being integrated across the entire organization.

To avoid these missteps, treat diversity and inclusion in healthcare like any company-wide goal. That includes:

• Getting buy-in from organization leadership (after first ensuring your leadership is truly representative of the community). 
• Providing the resources required to enact meaningful change, such as dedicated staffing and budget. 
• Creating an actionable, data-driven strategy with clear tactics and metrics and an implementation plan. 

For example, Beckton says, her team got buy-in for Sentara’s diversity and inclusion strategy by aligning diversity and inclusion initiatives with business needs and seeking input from executive leadership while developing the program.

“This may be some of the most important work we can do [to help] our organizations to thrive in the future,” says Sentara’s chief human resources officer, Becky Sawyer. “This isn’t work that can be done … [on] the side.” She also highlights the importance of designating an executive who can champion DEIB+ efforts, hold teams accountable and challenge legacy thinking.

Integrate Diversity and Inclusion into Hiring and Talent Development

First, assess your existing processes. Ask yourself questions such as:

• Where are you sourcing talent? 
• Are diverse teams involved in the recruitment process? 
• Do you consider a diverse slate of candidates for each role? 
• What are you doing to reduce bias in your review process? 
• How can AI help or hurt your DEIB+ goals? 
• What mentorship, sponsorship and professional development opportunities do you offer to help underrepresented employees, interns and residents receive the support and resources they need?

Next, Reynolds suggests broadening your talent sources to remove bias and barriers: “Create pipeline programs to recruit talent from public university minority achievement programs; historically black colleges and universities; diverse professional organizations; and executive recruitment firms who specialize in finding racial, ethnic and culturally diverse talent,” he says. 

You can also work with community partners to grow your pipeline. Sentara, for example, established an educational program with local workforce training organizations. 

“The program is dedicated to retraining unemployed and underemployed Virginians across the commonwealth,” says Sawyer. “We hope this pilot will be a model for creating pathways into healthcare that have not previously existed.”

Contribute to Health Equity Improvements in Your Community

Committing to diversity in healthcare goes beyond how you hire — it means addressing structural inequities, too. Sentara’s educational program is part of a broader initiative to address social determinants of health in underserved communities across Virginia, including housing, economic opportunities and community wellness.

“Tackling health disparities can feel like an overwhelming challenge for provider organizations,” Reynolds says. “The first step is recognizing that as a provider of care, you work for an organization that needs to be part of the fabric of your community, rather than an island where people come to receive treatment.” What’s more, he adds, community partners can work with healthcare organizations to tackle issues from multiple angles. 

Iris Lundy, Sentara’s director of health equity, agrees: “It’s important for us to listen to our community members and understand what they see as the most pressing issues. Building and maintaining relationships with faith-based, nonprofit and other trusted leaders is critical. We must be visible in and working alongside the community to improve health.”
Remember: While it may be tempting to put diversity and inclusion on the back burner — especially amid uncertainty — there are major benefits to continuing to prioritize those efforts. Truly caring for employees and patients means emphasizing diversity and inclusion in healthcare — and ensuring equal access for everyone.