Diversity in healthcare leadership is not a temporary trend that we can afford to ignore. If we want healthcare services to be truly inclusive and provide fair treatment to ALL patients, then we must prioritize diverse representation in leadership positions.
Read on for a fascinating conversation– a wake-up call to the importance of diversity in healthcare leadership.
Our CEO Diana Brooks and COO Anais Rodriguez delve into the benefits, challenges, and most importantly, the ways we can take action to improve diversity and inclusion in healthcare leadership. Let’s get to work!
Table of Contents
On the Supreme Court’s Decision Regarding Affirmative Action
Benefits of Diversity in Healthcare Leadership
Improving Diversity and Inclusion in Health and Wellness
What Wellness Means to the Diverse Consumer
On the Supreme Court’s Decision Regarding Affirmative Action
The Supreme Court’s June 29 decision to effectively revoke a university’s ability to apply affirmative action has been weighing heavy on our hearts here at THE 3RD EYE. The impact it has on diversity in healthcare leadership is palpable.
Even the AMA expressed its distaste with this decision, highlighting the importance of racial and ethnic diversity in educational settings and the need to address health inequalities. They argue—and we agree—that diversity in medical education is crucial. It ensures competent care for a diverse population. It saves lives.
Take olympic sprinter Tori Bowie, whose death highlights the elevated risk that Black Americans have of suffering from preeclampsia and eclampsia—contributing to the higher mortality rate before and after childbirth for Black mothers. Diverse physicians and researchers can move the needle when it comes to these inequities. (NPR)
“The AAMC, which represents more than 500 medical schools and teaching hospitals, filed an amicus brief with the court arguing that diversity in medical education “literally saves lives” by ensuring that doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals can competently care for an increasingly diverse population.”
KFF Health News
The solutions we mentioned in this conversation are more important than ever—since this decision will make it even harder to increase diversity in healthcare.
Benefits of Diversity in Healthcare Leadership
Barriers marginalized communities face and how health and wellness brands can help overcome them
“Research further finds that health disparities are costly, resulting in excess medical care costs and lost productivity as well as additional economic losses due to premature deaths each year.”
Kaiser Family Foundation
DB:
One of the biggest obstacles we see when talking about DEI and marginalized communities is access to healthcare. Health inequities among diverse populations are very real.
What we’ve learned working with marginalized communities, whether they’re Hispanic, black, even women: they don’t have enough providers that represent them. If marginalized communities can find providers and care teams where they can find those personal and cultural connections, it leads to better health outcomes.
Sharing that with executive leadership within brands has been key. There needs to be representation in these communities.
AR:
Absolutely, and not just providers. How can you market to these audiences if your marketing team doesn’t reflect or understand them? It’s important to get to know them.
Do research, spend time, spend money. It’s always worth it.
Make sure that local teams are reporting back, and even more, make sure they’re being listened to. Pay attention to what’s needed from those specific communities.
It can’t be one-size-fits-all.
DB:
Remember Houston? That’s a perfect example. There’s a huge Asian-American community, and without doctors or nurses who understand the community’s experience, their care will not be as good as it could have been.
AR:
It’s not gonna be quality healthcare.
DB:
Exactly.
And honestly, accessing quality healthcare starts with education. When marketing teams and providers understand the communities they serve, we can better explain options. From insurance to doctor’s visits, there’s a lot of confusion out there. A diverse healthcare workforce serving a diverse patient base means better communication—and ultimately better education.
AR:
And more competent care over all.
Improving Diversity and Inclusion in Health and Wellness
Initiatives brands can put into place to achieve diversity
“As the U.S. becomes increasingly multicultural and given that certain diseases have a higher prevalence in minority populations, it’s time for health care businesses to take meaningful action to address the longstanding inequity in the health care system.”
Harvard Medical School
AR:
When thinking of initiatives brands and healthcare leaders can put into place to promote diversity, always start with psychographics. Don’t just look at demographics.
What brings these people together? Find out, and build from there. Build a brand story that connects with them in an authentic way, and be consistent! Consistency is super important.
DB:
Definitely. I’d like to add authenticity to that. It’s really important to support the communities that you’re serving—and it has to be purposeful. People can see through inauthenticity in no time.
A brand that comes to mind to me who is very clear on their mission is Patagonia. The work they do with the community is front-and-center. When you hear Patagonia, you think of saving the earth. There’s an immediate understanding by the community of what Patagonia stands for. I think every brand strives for that.
What Wellness Means to Diverse Consumers
DB:
We’re super excited about recent research about what wellness means to consumers. We’ve done a Health and Wellness survey looking at gender, culture, and race to see how each one impacts how we define well-being.
We are probably most astounded by the shift to mental health.
The wellness space before was much more physical, very nutrition-focused. Based on the research we’re seeing across all groups, wellness is also seen as mental health now—even more so.
That means mental health is finally coming out of the shadows in communities where the concept itself was always taboo.
I mean, men said that their number one definition of wellness was mental health! I was floored by that. And when it comes to the black community defining wellness, spirituality was a big part of that. That was something that was really profound to me.
It’s these little differences that marketers need to be cognizant of.
Stay tuned. We have a white paper coming soon, right? So we’re excited about sharing that with everyone.
AR:
Definitely, the research has been very revealing.
Conclusion
Ultimately, healthcare professionals must prioritize ethnic diversity in leadership positions to ensure competent care and improve the quality of care for people of color. By highlighting the benefits and challenges of promoting diversity in healthcare leadership, we’re reminded that community involvement is key when serving diverse communities in health and wellness.
Research shows people of all races tend to prefer to see physicians who are similar to them in race or ethnicity, according to Poll-Hunter. When patients are of the same race as their provider, they report higher levels of satisfaction and trust and better communication.
KFF Health 2023
And not just this, diversity in leadership leads to a diverse set of opinions—which accelerates progress.
At The 3rd Eye, we believe that diversity and health equity are essential to providing fair treatment to all patients. More than that, it’s vital within brand leadership in order to serve diverse communities in the way they deserve.
By taking action and prioritizing diversity in healthcare leadership, we can create a more inclusive and equitable healthcare industry.
Need help injecting incorporating DEI into your health and wellness brand? Reach out to us here.
Still curious about the importance of diversity in healthcare? Learn more in Minority Mental Health: Get to Know the Facts