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SUMMER EQUITY RESEARCH PROGRAM

FOUNDATIONS OF A DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN Implementation and Sustainability of an Institutional Diversity Action Plan

Leslie D. Garcia, M.P.A. and Michael Tom, J.D.

Introduction & Background

Embracing the Power of Difference: Vision 2020 Strategic Plan As Oregon’s only academic health center, OHSU strives to embrace and advance diversity and inclusion. Doing so with a clear strategic plan will allow us to succeed in our mission of healing, teaching, research and community service to improve the health and well-being of people in Oregon and beyond. “Be a great organization, diverse in people and ideas” is the first goal in our Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, and it is an integral part of OHSU’s culture of excellence. Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment allows us to reflect and support the diverse communities we serve. Beyond accreditation requirements, federal rules and other regulations, OHSU aspires to be a leader in preparing for the demographic changes in its patient base and workforce by becoming a culturally competent academic health center to better address health disparities and meet the health needs of diverse communities. Recognizing the value of diversity, the OHSU President initiated the creation of OHSU’s Diversity Advisory Council (DAC), empowering it to develop an institutional strategic diversity plan (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 2010). The DAC advises the President on diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity for all aspects of the university’s mission. The council includes representatives from each of the university’s missions: Academic, Healthcare, Research, and Community Outreach. Membership includes students, residents, fellows, staff, union representatives, faculty, administration, and other key stakeholders. The DAC works collaboratively to examine and identify opportunities to enhance diversity within OHSU's new and existing programs, policies, procedures and institutional norms. In 2010, the first priority of the DAC was to assess and conduct an environmental scan of the institution’s climate to inform the development of the plan (AAMC, 2014). There was no existing institutional data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the climate and perceptions of students, staff, and faculty. Findings from the climate survey informed the goals and strategies to further enhance programs, policies, procedures and institutional norms. Goals and strategies were ranked according to urgency, feasibility of improvement and alignment with OHSU’s Vision 2020 Strategic Plan. Based on the rankings and the climate survey results, five goals were identified as the highest priorities to address diversity and inclusion. The 2010 Diversity Action Plan resulted from collaboration and partnerships across diverse OHSU stakeholders. Since then, the plan was updated, reframed, and renamed the 2013 OHSU Diversity Action Plan, denoting a need to “take action.” The Diversity Action Plan identified five institutional goals with actionable strategies, timelines, names of individuals and metrics to continue forward momentum toward achieving the first goal of OHSU's Vision 2020 Strategic Plan. The action plan seeks to improve access, recruitment, retention, professional opportunities for cultural competence, and increase campus climate for all OHSU community members while aligning with business objectives (Wit & Keefer, 2011).

Process

Results

The OHSU Diversity Action Plan identified five goals as the highest priorities, based on rankings and the climate survey results to address diversity among students, residents, fellows, faculty and the workforce throughout OHSU. Actionable Goals

Goal 1: Increase Recruitment Goal 2: Strengthen Retention Goal 3: Improve the Climate of Inclusion Goal 4: Building Community Partnerships Goal 5: Benchmark for Excellence

Process for Development and Implementation Develop Diversity Action Plans Facilities Finance Government Healthcare Integrity Legal Provost OHSU Research School School School & Logistics & ITG Relations* Foundation of Dentistry of Medicine of Nursing Submit Diversity Action Plan for Review and Approval Norwood Knight- Richardson, M.D. M.B.A, Chief Diversity Officer OHSU Center for Diversity & Inclusion and Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Leadership Team Mark Richardson, M.D., Dean of OHSU School of Medicine Joe Robertson, M.D., M.B.A., OHSU President Publish Mission Plans Share mission/unit plans with OHSU Board of Directors and other stakeholders via the website and other communication venues * This plan also incorporates community relations, and marketing & communications diversity strategies

Processes and plans are fluid and changes evolve with stakeholders. Creating a community of diversity and inclusion cannot be achieved by a single council or department. Transformation occurs only when individuals embrace diversity and lead by actively working toward the goal(s). The overall process and implementation that led to the completion of the 2013 OHSU Diversity Action Plan was data-driven and prioritized by defined importance to enhancing collaboration to support the academic, healthcare and research missions. Developing the institutional definition of diversity and business case is a critical first step to the process of developing a strategic diversity plan. Strategic planning can be an overwhelming process with countless hours of input and ideas proposed by many stakeholders. With a detailed work plan and set expectations, committee members developed a clear understanding of the process and expectations. The co-chairs and an administrative coordinator advanced the process forward with set timelines. Furthering the process required resources, budget, and administrative support. Developing support from the OHSU community to understand the relevance and significance of the DAP plan was essential (Hayles 2014). In 2012, the Diversity Communications Manager was hired to increase presence, branding, and integrated diversity best practices to support OHSU’s messaging. The Diversity Communications Manager also ensures a cohesive and consistent voice for OHSU’s diversity and inclusion efforts, contributing to OHSU’s aspirations to be an organization that is “Diverse in People and Ideas.” The 2014 climate survey revealed that 86% of respondents lauded OHSU’s efforts to communicate the importance of diversity. Clearly, the message of diversity has resonated with students, faculty, and staff. Grassroots and organic collaborations are not without conflict and resistance. Diplomacy is required to ensure that stakeholders are implementing mission-specific strategies that are aligned with the institutional plan. It is important to ensure that diverse stakeholders are invited to the decision-making process. Beyond cultivating collaborations, consistent, continuous communication and constructive feedback are essential to success of the foundations of a diversity strategic plan. We are currently in the process of creating a sustainable model to equip leaders across the institution with skills and tools to manage, measure, and refine approaches on the basis of data points and outcomes (O’Mara 2013). The journey continues.

Literature Cited

Acknowledgements

Association of American Medical Colleges. (2014) Diversity & Inclusion in Academic Medicine: A Strategic Planning Process. Washington, D.C. Gardenswartz, L.,& Rowe, A. (2010). Managing Diversity in Health Care Manual: Proven Tools and Activities for Leaders and Trainers. New Jersey: Jossey-Bass. Hayles, V. R. (2014). Communicating about diversity and inclusion. Diversity at work: the practice of inclusion, 78. O'Mara, J. (2013). Global benchmarks for diversity and inclusion. Diversity at work: the practice of inclusion, 415-430. Wit & Kieffer (2011) Journal Advancing Diversity Leadership in Healthcare, A National Survey of Healthcare Executives [accessed September 2012]

We began with the assumption that campus climate is informed by and reflected in five primary dimensions which included: structural diversity, social, historical and political context and commentary data. OHSU hired consulting firms to conduct a university-wide qualitative and quantitate assessments. Key findings led us to identify and prioritize goals and strategies. OHSU’s first institutional diversity plan provided recommendations to the President to improve access, recruitment, retention and enhance inclusion. In 2012, OHSU appointed its first Chief Diversity Officer, increased resources to address key areas for improvement, and revamped its institutional diversity plan. The 2013 Diversity Action Plan calls on all community members to take action. Each mission, school, and selected units were asked to develop their own mission/unit-specific Diversity Action Plan that would serve as a roadmap to guide diversity and inclusion efforts of OHSU. A total of 12 plans were submitted in August 2014. DAC leaders worked closely with missions/units to develop the plans. To ensure transparency and accountability, completed plans will be made available to the OHSU community.

Vision 2020, Goal 1: Be a great organization, diverse in people and ideas Strategy 1. 2: Transform OHSU from an organization that values diversity to one that lives it

We would like thank the following individuals and groups who have led and supported the creation and implementation of the OHSU Diversity Action Plan and the OHSU School of Medicine Diversity Action Plan.

Department and Unit Leaders Draft Diversity Action Plans (DAPs)

Steering Committee drafts School of Medicine (SoM) master DAP

Refine Department/Unit DAPs Share best practices and align with master DAP, climate survey

findings, AAMC data, etc.

Implementation Prioritize and cascade goals, implement, and communicate

Accountability Review & reports by SoM Diversity Committee, including performance appraisal, core competencies, and

data/metric driven

Continuous Improvement Refresh and repeat annual

diversity planning cycle. Ensure the process is data and metrics-

driven

Lessons Learned & Conclusion

School of Medicine Diversity Plan Cycle

Developing Mission and Unit Plans The 2013 OHSU Diversity Action Plan is aligned with the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) IS-16 accreditation standard to meet policies and practices, and to engage in ongoing and systematic efforts to attract and retain students, faculty, staff, and others from demographically diverse backgrounds. The School of Medicine took a deeper approach by requiring all departments to submit an individual plan that would roll up to the School of Medicine Diversity Action Plan. A sub-committee reviewed all submitted plans and provided feedback. The Dean and Senior Associate Dean presented the School of Medicine Diversity Action Plan to the school and diverse stakeholders including the department chairs and administrators, informing them of expectations. See inset for “School of Medicine Diversity Plan Cycle.” School of Medicine Committee on Committees The School of Medicine established the Diversity Committee that will serve to oversee the continuous process of implementation and improvement. The committee will serve as the faculty, resident, and student voice on advancing diversity, and is charged to monitor and inform chair appraisals, and to direct future direction based on its findings. The Committee will present an annual report to the School of Medicine Dean, OHSU’s Diversity Advisory Council, the Faculty Council, and the Center for Diversity & Inclusion. The Chair of the Diversity Committee will represent the School of Medicine and serve on the institutional Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) and have a direct liaison with DAC co-chairs. The structure of measuring progress and accountability is still in process.

Joe Robertson, M.D., M.BA. Norwood Knight Richardson, M.D., M.B.A. Robert Hayles, Ph.D. Mark Richardson, M.D., M.B.A., MSCB George Mejicano, M.D., M.S. Adrienne Thompson, Ed.D. Maileen Hamto, M.B.A.

Diversity Advisory Council Center for Diversity & Inclusion Diversity Action Planning Team School of Medicine Diversity Planning Sub-Committee