Fairview
Diversity Initiative Improves Workplace and Health Care Provided
At
Fairview Health Services, diversity is more than a buzzword. It cuts
to the essence of how Fairview provides care and how employees feel
about working there.
As a word, diversity describes the differences and similarities
that affect how we work and live together. Examples include race,
ethnicity, nationality, primary language and accent, age, gender,
gender identity, physical capability, sexual orientation, size, spiritual
beliefs and tenure.
“Some people choose
Fairview as an employer and as a health care provider based on
how well we understand and respect these differences,” says
David Page, Fairview president and CEO. “Having a diversity
balance in our workforce improves our culturally competent care and
helps create a welcoming environment for all patients and employees.”
Deepening Commitment
During
Fairview Diversity Advancement Week, Oct. 18-22, thousands of
employees, patients, families and community members took part in
activities, including a Diversity Advocates Summit, unity prayer
commemorations, storytelling sessions and diversity learning events.
“We’ve made great progress toward our goal of increasing
involvement in and advocacy for diversity among employees and leaders,” says
Sue Plaster, Fairview Director of Diversity. “We need to be
a business in which we ask ourselves, ‘What can I do on my
job?’”
Fairview’s diversity
initiative focuses on three areas:
culturally
competent care
welcoming environment
workforce diversity
Culturally Competent Care
Fairview’s
efforts to provide culturally competent care include:
understanding
patient population by collecting information about primary language,
race, ethnicity and spiritual beliefs during the admission process
asking about cultural regard, linguistic access and discomfort
level on patient satisfaction surveys
advocating for actions based on the data collected
sponsoring cultural competence education
translating patient information into various languages
Treating patients from
diverse backgrounds can be more complicated, and often requires
close teamwork, but is worth the effort, says Sue Bjerke, R.N.,
who works in Fairview-University’s Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Bjerke describes a situation earlier this year in which a Hmong
couple had a premature baby who was in the NICU for an extended period
of time before being taken off life support.
Aside from language barriers,
there were also cultural and spiritual concerns. Among those helping
the infant’s care providers address
those concerns were Rachael Stover-Haney, a Fairview social worker,
and Chuck Ceronsky, Fairview Director of Spiritual Health Services,
as well as interpreters from Fairview Interpreter Services.
“Rachael and Chuck were incredible,” says Bjerke. “Their
ongoing support and communication with the family, including elders
from the Hmong community, made all the difference. Because of the
rapport and trust established, and because the family was allowed
time to come to terms with the need to withdraw life support, the
best possible outcome that any of us could have hoped for was achieved.”
On the day that life support
was withdrawn, the family gave the baby a ritual washing and dressed
him in three layers of clothes to prepare him for the next life. “The grandma held him when
he died, and the family seemed very much at peace after it was over,” says
Bjerke.
A Welcoming Environment
Many
factors go into creating a welcoming environment for patients,
visitors and employees. Examples of work being done in this area
include:
highlighting diversity at new employee orientations
conducting welcoming audits to gather information about the
impressions people get when they visit Fairview facilities
creating welcome signs in various languages for entry and
waiting room areas
commemorating winter holidays that respect many faith traditions
Earlier this year, Fairview solicited the professional feedback
of long-time patient Jenny Peterson, who became a quadriplegic 21
years ago, to find out what people with disabilities may experience
at Fairview-University Medical Center.
As part of a multiphase
accessibility audit, Peterson toured both campuses in her wheelchair,
interviewed employees and patients and made recommendations. John
Marshall, Fairview-University Facility Services Director, accompanied
Peterson on the tours. “It was
eye-opening to see how the place looks from a wheelchair—such
as how bumps in sidewalks and mats affect movement,” says Marshall. “We’ve
been making adjustments that Jenny recommended.”
“Over the years, I’ve watched Fairview-University make
dramatic changes to the campus to empower people with disabilities,” says
Peterson.
Workplace Diversity
Among
the efforts in this area are:
enriching leadership diversity
advocating for diversity in recruitment, retention, promotion,
development and mentoring
sponsoring diversity education opportunities
Fairview has a systemwide Diversity Council with 43 members, as
well as six site-based diversity teams to further diversity initiatives
at a local level.
Nearly 50 Fairview leaders have set diversity business goals. One
of the goals set by Gary Strong, Southwest Metro care system president,
is to have a diverse pool of applicants at the interview stage for
every leadership position.
“I believe diversity is important because you can never be sure
you have the very best people unless you include everyone in your applicant
pool,” says Strong. “We’ve increased diversity among
our leadership group at Fairview Southdale from less than 1 percent
to 10 to 12 percent.”
Having a diverse workforce
has an impact on care. “I think
it greatly improves care,” says Strong. “We’re
here to serve all, and our community is made up of many backgrounds.
It gives us a better understanding of people’s unique perspectives.”
To learn more about Fairview Health Services, an integrated health
system with more than 18,500 employees delivering exceptional care
and superior health outcomes in hospitals, clinics, patient homes,
rehab facilities and more throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, visit
www.fairview.org.
