Cleveland Clinic is among the Top 5 hospitals and health systems for diversity programming ranked by DiversityInc. This is the eighth consecutive year we ranked among the Top 5 organizations. Organizations on this list perform well in talent pipeline, talent management, leadership commitment and supplier diversity.”
Cleveland Clinic has also been recognized as a Leader in LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Healthcare Equality for three years in a row (Main Campus since 2014; Regional Hospitals and Weston Florida since 2015). We received the 2017 Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” recognition. This recognition is based on the Healthcare Equality Index, which is a benchmarking tool that evaluates healthcare facilities for equity and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients, visitors and employees. This is the third consecutive year that the System has received this recognition.
In 2016, Cleveland Clinic was honored by the American Hospital Association (AHA) with its Equity of Care Award. The award was created to recognize outstanding efforts among hospitals and healthcare systems to advance equity of care to all patients and to spread lessons learned and progress toward achieving health equity. The award acknowledges hospitals for their efforts to reduce health care disparities and advance diversity within the organization’s leadership, board, and workforce. The AHA commended Cleveland Clinic for supporting AHA’s #123forEquity Pledge Campaign which launched in 2015. Cleveland Clinic demonstrated sustained commitment to the National Call to Action to ensure equitable care for all persons in every community.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion provides strategic leadership for creating an inclusive organizational culture for patients, caregivers, business partners, and the communities Cleveland Clinic serves.
Our three core focus areas are:
- Enterprise Demographics
- Cultural Competency Education and Training
- Health Equity and Community Engagement
We leverage and align these focus areas to complement and enhance yearly enterprise goals to ensure that diversity is integrated in Cleveland Clinic’s daily operations. Programming from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion promotes our charge of building and sustaining a culturally competent and diverse caregiver population.
Increasing the enrollment of underrepresented minority (URM) students in health professions is becoming a more important and urgent issue. Cleveland Clinic takes an innovative approach to foster the continuing education and development of URM talent into healthcare. We offer various programs for high school and college students to provide them with career information, coaching/mentoring, team-based experiential learning, problem-solving expertise, and enhance professionalism. In 2016, 74 students participated in our pipeline programs, with 100% being URM.
Cleveland Clinic is committed to increasing diverse talent in management and executive roles. In 2016, we expanded mentorship programs that serve this purpose; several initiatives are highlighted below:
- African American Employee Resource Group (AAERG) Frontline Development Program – AAERG addressed a system-wide education gap through a group-led professional development workshop series for front-line caregivers. AAERG’s workshops increase visibility and access to senior leaders and create a pipeline of talent from within the organization for future leadership roles. In 2016, AAERG collaborated with SALUD (Hispanic ERG) to expand the reach of the series, resulting in an increased participation of 225%. To date, 161 caregivers have participated in the workshops, with 40% being promoted and 6% making lateral moves.
- Mentoring Circles – A collaborative effort of the Global Leadership and Learning Institute and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, brings together a diverse group of employees, identified by their managers as capable future leaders, for informal talks with senior leaders to support participants’ growth. In 2016, 20 caregivers participated in the re-launch of this program, with 60% of participants being minorities.
Enterprise-wide cultural competency skill development is fundamental in achieving the best patient and caregiver experience to an increasingly diverse population. We build skills, increase awareness and knowledge by providing online trainings, seminars, coaching and consultation services to caregivers and departments to further enhance cultural competency and the patient/caregiver experience.
Online Training
A Diversity and Inclusion module created for caregivers provides an overview of diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence across the Cleveland Clinic enterprise including Ohio, Florida, and Nevada locations. All new hires and existing caregivers are required to complete it annually. An organizational barrier was removed by integrating the module into annual compliance course offerings completed by our entire workforce. In 2016, the module was completed by 87% of caregivers and included topics such as Unconscious Bias and Health Equity.
Instructor-led Trainings
Available throughout the year with both scheduled and customized offerings available. Trainings may be customized for a department by need or request to increase cultural competence for patient care and/or improve caregiver interaction and management skills. Some of the trainings include: New Leader Orientation, Foundation for Diversity & Inclusion, Bringing Your Whole Self to Work, Cultural Differences at End of Life, Healthcare Equality Index LGBT on line trainings, and Disability Etiquette. In 2016, we provided 40 trainings to 670 participants and surpassed our knowledge gain goal of 10%, with a 19% increase.
Language Enrichment Programs
Offered in-person and online, they enhance communication skills of caregivers to improve patient experience. Courses include: Spanish for Healthcare Professionals, Basic Arabic, Accent Modification, and English as a Second Language. In 2016, participants showed a 34% increase in knowledge/language skills.
We partner with key internal and community stakeholders to make advancements in research, patient access, and patient education in order to contribute to the reduction in health disparities. This is achieved through improved or enhanced access, patient outcomes, patent satisfaction, community health outreach, education and research.
Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Councils
Cleveland Clinic has 11 affinity-based Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that span the enterprise and 19 location-specific Diversity Councils (DCs). Through our ERGs and DCs, we offer strategic programming to address the healthcare and wellness needs of our diverse patient population and provide caregivers with the opportunity to increase their cultural competence. The work particularly raises awareness of health disparities and inequitable care that may exist in the organization and across the communities we serve.
In 2016, the Association of ERGs and Councils recognized the African American Employee Resource (AAERG) Group, ClinicPride, our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Allies – LGBTA ERG, and SALUD, our Hispanic/Latino ERG, for their contributions and achievements in leading organizational diversity processes and demonstrating results in the workforce, workplace, and marketplace. They are ranked among the top 25 ERGs in the nation at #1, #12 and #22, respectively.
ERGs and DCs serve as ambassadors of diversity and inclusion strategies to support recruitment efforts, provide personal and professional development, increase engagement, and promote health equity throughout our system. Some highlights for 2016 include:
- SALUD developed the 1st fully bilingual health and wellness youth outreach program in Northeast Ohio, ACTiVOS, which means “being active” in Spanish. ACTiVOS incentives youth to become physically active and engage them to adopt healthy eating behaviors by incorporating fun, educational dialogues, and fitness activities. The program focuses on reducing the risks of asthma, diabetes, obesity, and malnutrition in the growing Hispanic youth population in our area. In 2016, participants improved their perception of personal health by 80%, healthy eating knowledge gained was 108%, and increased physical activity by 202%.
- The Greater University Circle Employee Resource Group (GUC-ERG) is comprised of Cleveland Clinic caregivers who reside in one of the eight Greater University Circle neighborhoods. GUC-ERG members serve as ambassadors to other GUC caregivers, potential caregivers, and all members of these communities. Through peer-to-peer activities and initiatives, GUC-ERG emphasizes the overall goals of Cleveland Clinic’s strategic plan while helping to build strategies for recruitment, retention, and caregiver engagement. The group also connects to the overarching goals of the Greater University Circle Initiative to Live Local, Buy Local, Hire Local & Connect. The GUC-ERG will leverage The Power of Every One to impact one person, one family, one neighborhood at a time.
By embracing and understanding the diversity EVERY ONE brings, Cleveland Clinic has created an inclusive culture that promotes innovation, growth, and new ideas. The EVERY ONE video showcases our progress in building a diverse and inclusive environment. It features captivating stories of our caregivers – who they are, where they come from, and why they are at Cleveland Clinic.