PART 3

Part 3

Part 3

Introduction

The cultural change process is disruptive, expensive, threatening to the status quo, and generally viewed as not in the interest of the dominant stakeholders. Most organizations continue to take a piecemeal approach to diversity issues and practices. Depending on which issues are in transition from being a problem to becoming a crisis, decisions are often made based on perception rather than content. This approach may partially explain the marginal success of health care's diversity initiatives. The need for a paradigm shift has never been more obvious.

Current demographics show that the healthcare sector in the US (hospitals, healthcare systems, academic healthcare centers, health plans, insurance providers, and federal organizations) is faced with a more diverse patient-base than ever before, and this demographic trend is set to continue.

It is projected that in 2050, Hispanics will make up 24.4%of the US population (an increase of 188%); Asian/Pacific Islanders will makeup 8% (an increase of 213%); Blacks will comprise 14.6% of the population (a 71% increase); and Non-Hispanic Whites will increase by 7% to make up a total of 50.1% of the nation's population (Andrews, 2002).

This change in America's demographic poses several questions for the healthcare sector. Are healthcare providers equipped to provide services to an increasingly diverse population in the US? How will they compete with one another for the nation's best administrators/management, faculty and medical staff? What steps can healthcare organizations take in the short-term that will support them in better-serving the needs of an increasingly diverse population in the future, positioning them as leaders in health services provision and as employers of choice?

The Business Case for Increased Diversity of Healthcare Practitioners

Healthcare institutions can benefit enormously as a result of diversifying their patient-facing workforce. The first, and perhaps most important, benefit is improved quality of care. The need for diversity in healthcare begins with the primary concern of all healthcare providers - patients. Much like their symptoms and ailments, patients cannot be treated in a one-size-fits all manner (Leininger, 1995).

A diverse healthcare workforce makes communication with, and ultimately treatment of, a diverse patient base more effective. For example, research by the Patient Advocate Foundation has shown that African American and Hispanic communities in particular face increased health challenges due to the higher than normal incidence of some diseases, with the most prevalent being cancer, diabetes, heart and kidney disease.

The healthcare issues that ethnic minority patients face can be compounded by language and cultural misunderstandings, hindering effective communication between patients and the medical staff, and potentially leading to inadequateor inferior service, damaging the doctor-patient relationship.

Conversely however, when healthcare organizations develop close relationships with patients and their communities, the benefits include better utilization of resources, services tailored to meet unique community needs, more substantive data and research information, better physician relationships and referrals, and increased loyalty amongst both staff and patients (Chrisman, 2005).

The demographic and disease management statistics make the business case for a more diverse healthcare workforce clear. However, there remains great room for ...