Building Institutional Capacity for Diversity and Inclusion in Academic Medicine

Abstract

Today, most agree that the health care system in the United States is in need of reform and that existing health disparities have huge implications for both that system and society as a whole. As a result, academic medicine has come to play a central role in addressing health disparities in a pluralistic society. Today, diversity is no longer a projection; it is a reality. Yet, most diversity efforts continue to run parallel to core institutional processes, rather than as part of the mission of the institution. Researchers agree that, to promote a healthy and vital society, leaders in academic medicine must create institutions that can serve diverse populations. To do so, they must first increase their institutional capacity for diversity. This article outlines the next generation of work on diversity and inclusion, drawing on a broad body of research and practice to identify some of the key elements for building the kind of institutional capacity necessary for sustained change in academic medicine, including a deeper engagement of mission, one that considers diversity as core to excellence; an inclusive and differentiated understanding of diversity institutionally; alignment and intentionality with respect to key institutional elements; key metrics associated with success and a serious process to monitor progress; and the identification of diverse talent for leadership at all levels.

The Social and Learning Environments Experienced by Underrepresented Minority Medical Students

“…The recent discussion in Academic Medicine about novel ways to increase diversity in medicine 17 identified the need for a greater financial and administrative commitment from institutions to a strategic plan for recruiting and retaining minorities, 57 the incorporation of diversity into institutions' core missions, and the monitoring and self-evaluation of the current culture to promote change over time. 65 Although our findings indicate that change is needed to make medicine an inclusive profession for minorities, the current environment of health care reform creates an opportunity for institutions to implement these strategies.…”

Narratives of Participants in National Career Development Programs for Women in Academic Medicine: Identifying the Opportunities for Strategic Investment

“…Intentional strategies within institutions are needed to sustain improvements in diversity and inclusion. [28][29][30] Internal efforts made by a few progressive institutions/leaders prove that deliberate development and implementation of policies, practices, and programs to promote women show organizational benefits both in academic medicine and Fortune 500 companies. [31][32][33][34] We suggest that there are change agents in academic medicine ready to accelerate progress toward diversity.…”

The accuracy of radiology speech recognition reports in a multilingual South African teaching hospital

“…There is also a drive to increased diversity amongst medical staff and students in training institutions internationally [15-17]. Multilingual radiology departments are thus encountered with increasing frequency.…”