Healthcare Needs DEI

Cleveland Francis, MD

In recent months, the importance, relevance, fairness, and validity of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been debated, but there is no room for debate or questioning when it comes to DEI in healthcare.

Healthcare teams should be diverse, reflecting the rich diversity of race, culture, gender, and background of our population. Equity is critical. All team members must have equal access to resources, training, rewards, and support. But, just as important is a culture of inclusion, where differences are respected and staff feel a sense of belonging. The search for qualified diverse team members should be ongoing.

Teams that mirror the community they serve provide a higher standard of care. This is even more important now as technological advances and time constraints make it increasingly challenging to develop a trusting and empathetic bond with patients. The healthcare team is the soul of an institution. A healthcare system can be judged by how it treats its staff, how staff treat each other, how the frontline team treats patients, and how patients, in turn, interact with the team.

My health system, like nearly all similar institutions, struggles with how to address the discrepancy between the diversity of the healthcare staff and the racial, ethnic, and cultural makeup of its local community.

Mentoring programs such as Inova’s Dream B!G initiative are an important first step. Students from underserved communities are exposed to a broad range of careers in healthcare through one-on-one mentoring and full-day visits to the hospital to hear presentations, participate in discussions, and engage in hands-on activities. To remain competitive, healthcare systems must be sensitive to the changing society and make a true commitment to DEI.

Healthcare teams include hardworking and trained professionals with different cultures, religions, race, sex, gender identities, accents, age, and body sizes. Opportunities for leadership training and professional growth should be available to all who demonstrate interest and qualifications. The staff and patients must be able to rely on policies and procedures that ensure a safe workplace that treats patients fairly and equally, and an environment that protects against prejudices, bias, and physical and psychological harm. The support of health system leadership is essential.

There is much to be done. Black patients and their families are still treated differently in hospitals, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. These disparities cannot be ignored if we are to ensure equal treatment for all patients and their families.

Healthcare systems must offer educational programs to raise awareness of racism and bias and to combat these practices. Aggression of any type should not be tolerated, and explicit policies regarding treatment of staff as well as patients’ rights and responsibilities should be clearly stated and enforced.

We must continue to aggressively promote DEI efforts in healthcare. It is the right thing to do. As healthcare providers, we have been trained to diagnose and treat illness. We must do our best to eliminate anything that stands in the way of providing the best possible care. Regardless of what is going on elsewhere in society, healthcare must be a “safe space” where patient and caregiver are respected, and empathy and trust are allowed to grow.

Cleveland Francis, MD, is the former president and founder of Mount Vernon Cardiology Associates. Francis is also a songwriter and performer. He was a recording artist on the Capitol Nashville Country Music Label (1992-1995), and his music has been featured at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.