Managing Diversity in Health Care

Cultural Diversity as a Strategic Advantage This insightful and practical work should be required reading formanagers, physicians, nurses, allied health caregivers, and supportstaff, in order to overcome barriers to communication and change indealing with an increasingly complex patient and employee base. Ihighly Andorse this excellent book written by these outstandingauthors. --Donald R. Oxley, vice president and executive director, KaiserPermanente As reflected in new cultural competency requirements for healthcare organizations, sensitivity to and understanding of culturaldiversity have become mandatory for health care professionals.However, most health care professionals have little or no trainingon how to deal with the challenges of cultural diversity. WithManaging Diversity in Health Care, you'll learn effectivestrategies fundamental to creating a culturally diverse health careorganization. This essential handbook provides you with the necessary knowledgeand tools to become more responsive to culturally diverse patientand staff populations. The authors show how to build diverse teams,deal with the thorny issues of prejudice and bias, and communicateeffectively within a diverse health care setting.

Introduction. Wholeness and Well-Being: In the Eye of the Beholder. Organization of the Contents. How to Use this Book. 1. Why Diversity is Good for Business: Marketplace and WorkforceIssues. Demographics Changes: An Increasingly Complex Patient and EmployeeBase. What These Population Shifts Mean to Health Care. Meeting New Contractor and Managed Care Requirements. Analyzing the Challenges and Opportunities That DiversityBrings. 2. The Dimensions of Health Care Delivery. Personality: The Unique Core. Internal Dimensions of Diversity: Powerful Influencers of Identity,Opportunity, and Expectations. External Dimensions. Organizational Dimensions. Analyzing the Impact of Diversity Dimensions in YourOrganization. Analyzing the Impact of Your own Diversity Dimensions on You as aHealth Care Professional. Analyzing Your Own Attitudes Toward Differences. 3. The Truth About Cultural Programming. Realities of Cultural Programming. Dimensions of Culture that Influence Behavior. Questioning and Expanding Your Own Assumptions. 4. Achieving Practical Cultural Literacy. Factors that Influence Adherence to Norms. Definition and Perception of Illness and Health. Key Cultural Values Affecting Care. Non-Western Treatments. The Best of Both Worlds. Beliefs About Illness, the Body, and Its Functioning. Childbirth. Death and Dying. Family and Its Role. Cultural Beliefs About Health, Disease, and Healers. 5. Improving Communication in Diverse Environments. Language. Other Aspects of Communication. Assessing Intercultural Hooks that Block Communication. Learning About the Cultures You Serve. Getting Your Message Across: Directions and Feedback. Soliciting Information. Communicating Across Language Barriers. Getting Help in Interpreting. Culturally Sensitive Medical Interviews. 6. Removing Stereotypes That Block High-Quality Care. The Realities of Stereotypes. The Realities of Human Nature. Managing Your Biases: Suggestions for Fighting Stereotypes. 7. The Diversity Leadership Challenge. The Essentials of Diversity Leadership. Leadership Fulfilled: Steps Toward Lasting Change. 8. Overcoming Barriers to Change. Making Your Diversity Efforts Pay Off. Organizational Barriers to Diversity. 9. Creative Organizational Problem Solving. Demographics-driven Marketing. Kaiser Permanente Southern California Mentoring and Coaching. Providing Health Care to the Underserved: A RevolutionaryPlan. A Systematic Commitment to Caring for the Underserved. Resources. Notes. Index.