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Learn MoreRecognizing that there’s a lot of work to be done to address healthcare challenges in diversity, inclusion, and bias, HealthStream recently began working on an expansion of training options in this area with Jeremy Short, a diversity and inclusion practices expert. We recently spoke to Short about what effective diversity training looks like and why it is vitally important for healthcare organizations, individuals who work in healthcare, as well as patients and their families. This blog post continues a series of excerpts from the article based on our conversation.
HealthStream: What are the issues connected to diversity and inclusion that affect patient care?
Jeremy Short: During a difficult test or procedure, you need to feel comfortable and safe that you are working with someone with your best interest at heart. That requires solid communication, awareness, and understanding of the patient population, as well as established trust, so that what you say as a doctor is reflected in your behavior. For the best outcomes, representation matters. Some people may prefer to be treated by a caregiver of a specific gender or race in order to really be heard and understood. Representation matters, and you still get the benefits of diversity.
Bias can lead to problems in healthcare. An American Journal of Public Health study showed that two-thirds of primary care doctors harbor biases toward their African American patients. As a result, they spend less time with black patients and involve them less in their own medical decisions. The tragedy is that these physicians aren’t aware they’re treating African American patients any differently.
These conditions can create a healthcare environment where black people don’t feel welcome. They can start avoiding doctors and treatments, and reduced access to healthcare increases diabetes and heart disease at a higher rate than other racial groups. It also leads to disparities in care. For example, African American infants are approximately 2.3 times more likely to experience infant death, regardless of income and education, and African American mothers are four times more likely to die in childbirth. These are just a few examples of how diversity and inclusion matters in a healthcare environment—trust and relationship between the provider and patient is critical. We have to get away from blame and work toward solutions. Though there may be times when the reasons are intentional and even racist, I believe it’s often due to lack of awareness.
HealthStream: What is unique about the need for diversity and inclusion training in healthcare?
Jeremy Short: When it comes to healthcare, there are literally lives at stake. It’s critical for our organizations to bring the best and brightest employees to the table, enable them to be productive and empower them to drive results. More diversity in a candidate pool gives you a better chance of truly finding a top performer—not just the top performer of the pool that you happen to have recruited. Let’s build stronger and bigger candidate pools for making hiring decisions. When it comes to Diversity and Inclusion, people often ask, “When two candidates are exactly the same, do you have to hire the minority, the person of color, or the woman?” During 25 years in human resources, I’ve never seen two candidates who are exactly the same.
You have to take the bias out of the interview process, the recruitment process, the hiring process, and then make your assessment. Focus on attracting the best and the brightest, giving them the tools necessary to be successful, and empowering them to learn. Then you know that you are treating people better and more effectively.
Our Q&A with Jeremy Short, a diversity and inclusion practices expert, focuses on what effective diversity training looks like and why it is vitally important for healthcare organizations, individuals who work in healthcare, as well as patients and their families. Download the full article.
About Jeremy Short
For more than 20 years, Jeremy Short has held a number of progressively responsible roles directing and leading Human Resources initiatives. Short is currently the Director of Talent Management and Development at a health system in Ohio and is an Adjunct Professor of Human Resources Management at Baldwin Wallace University. Previously, he was the Director of Diversity and Inclusion, subsequent to his being a Director of Human Resources, at Sherwin- Williams. Short is also the President of the Cleveland Advisory Board of the Ohio Diversity Council, the Awareness Chair for the Northeast Ohio Military Employers’ Consortium and is a member of the Greater Cleveland Commission on Economic Inclusion’s Diversity Professionals Group. Short earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Brenau University in Atlanta, Georgia. Short has extensive experience and proficiency in large-scale change initiatives, fostering employee engagement, policy management, recruitment, training, individual development planning, employee relations issues, succession planning, and compensation management.
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsImprove the preparedness of your staff, increase survival rates, and cut costs with the advanced resuscitation training services from HealthStream.
View All ResuscitationNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream's solutions allow your healthcare workforce to be confident and competent with the knowledge they are upholding the highest of standards.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsDelivers everything you need to request, gather, and validate information about a provider to create a single source of truth for downstream processes.
View All CredentialingMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All Scheduling & Capacity ManagementNurseGrid and Keener - HealthStream's mobile apps built by nurses, for nurses - help nurses take control of their schedules, practice self-care, and build a more sustainable career.
View All ProductsTake the stress out of scheduling with real-time technology that engages nurses and healthcare workers from HealthStream.
View All ProductsProvide an easier way to view healthcare staff capacity insights while seeing a patient’s journey with HealthStream’s operational intelligence and machine learning products.
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