Leveraging Diversity within your Organization

April 18, 2018  |  Best Practice


1. Think Like Patients

Think and act more like the particular patient populations that are being served, especially as the U.S. patient population undergoes dramatic demographic shifts.
 

2. Hire Professionals to Reflect Patients

Hire more professionals that look like the patient populations that they are serving.
 

3. Be Deliberate About Diversity

Be intentional about identifying and elevating diversity and inclusion concerns and discuss these issues more freely and more frequently.
 

4. Develop Affinity Groups & ERGs

Build affinity groups and employee resource groups.
 

5. Support Leadership Opportunities for Underrepresented

Establish pipeline programs that encourage minorities, women, and other historically underrepresented groups to assume leadership roles in biotechnology and medicine.
 

6. Encourage Diversity in Leadership 

Appoint professionals in leadership roles with the function of addressing diversity in the organization and recruiting a more diverse workforce.
 

7. Create Environments Where Diversity is Valued

Reinforce the business value of having a diverse workforce.
 

8. Emphasize Education on Cultural Competence

Educate employees about cultural competency and track the efficiency of these educational programs.
 

9. Recognize Positive Examples

Reward organizations that prioritize cultural competency.
 

10. Record Progress

Collect and commoditize data on diversity and its positive benefits.

 

To learn more health equity best practices, attend an upcoming CHI educational event.

 
 
Authors

Joseph Gaspero

CEO & Co-Founder at CHI

 

Mounika Kata, MS

Senior Analyst at CHI

 

Ivory Chang, MS

Project Manager at CHI

 

Source

2018 Breakthroughs in Healthcare Equity Symposium Action Plan

Joseph Gaspero is the CEO and Co-Founder of CHI. He is a healthcare executive, strategist, and researcher. He co-founded CHI in 2009 to be an independent, objective, and interdisciplinary research and education institute for healthcare. Joseph leads CHI’s research and education initiatives focusing on including patient-driven healthcare, patient engagement, clinical trials, drug pricing, and other pressing healthcare issues. He sets and executes CHI’s strategy, devises marketing tactics, leads fundraising efforts, and manages CHI’s Management team. Joseph is passionate and committed to making healthcare and our world a better place. His leadership stems from a wide array of experiences, including founding and operating several non-profit and for-profit organizations, serving in the U.S. Air Force in support of 2 foreign wars, and deriving expertise from time spent in industries such as healthcare, financial services, and marketing. Joseph’s skills include strategy, management, entrepreneurship, healthcare, clinical trials, diversity & inclusion, life sciences, research, marketing, and finance. He has lived in six countries, traveled to over 30 more, and speaks 3 languages, all which help him view business strategy through the prism of a global, interconnected 21st century. Joseph has a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago. When he’s not immersed in his work at CHI, he spends his time snowboarding backcountry, skydiving, mountain biking, volunteering, engaging in MMA, and rock climbing.