In this week’s High Stakes podcast, we explore the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in healthcare through a conversation with Jarrard Senior Vice President James Cervantes – who also serves as the leader of our Regional Health System Practice – and Senior Managing Advisor Allyson Carr. While DEI and health equity work has gained momentum throughout the industry as a workforce priority over the past four years, it is still often poorly understood, leading to underwhelming results when leaders try to codify their DEI priorities and bring initiatives to life. Thus, the cultural, operational and economic benefits of embedding DEI throughout an organization often go unrealized. Leaders need a framework for understanding DEI from 360 degrees and strategies for teaching and gaining buy-in from their stakeholders.

Key Takeaways:

The conversation around DEI was accelerated by the pandemic and George Floyd, which inspired a strong push for this work. But with both events shrinking in the rearview, what seemed like an inflection point in how we understand equity and belonging now is sometimes seen as a logistical box organizations need to check.

In some states, policies legislate what terms can and cannot be used, which of course poses challenges to DEI initiatives. Even so, organizations can find ways to work around language restrictions and make real progress through how they engineer their organizational practices and customs.

Success in DEI requires clear communication, storytelling and data-driven approaches to address gaps in care and achieve health equity.

Partnerships with community organizations can help improve access to care and address social determinants of health. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices