Addressing Structural Racism Using a Whole-Scale Planning Process in a Single Academic Center
Purpose: The murder of George Floyd in 2020 prompted a national demand for cultural transformation to confront the systemic racism prevalent in the country. Academic medical centers were not exempt from this urgent call. This article evaluates the efficacy of a strategic process in fostering cultura...
Format: | Article |
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Language: | English |
Published: |
Mary Ann Liebert
2023-09-01
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Series: | Health Equity |
Online Access: | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/HEQ.2023.0093 |
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collection | DOAJ |
description | Purpose: The murder of George Floyd in 2020 prompted a national demand for cultural transformation to confront the systemic racism prevalent in the country. Academic medical centers were not exempt from this urgent call. This article evaluates the efficacy of a strategic process in fostering cultural transformation within an academic medical system.
Methods: A whole-scale strategic planning process was implemented over 13 months, involving multiple working groups representing key stakeholders from each entity across the system, an anonymous survey, a communication plan, and a balanced scorecard to monitor progress. More than 5500 voices, 160 recommendations, 122 data gathering sessions, and town hall meetings contributed to the creation and implementation of vital action items and a strategic framework. The Diversity Engagement Survey (DES) was administered 18 months following the process launch.
Results: Of the 45,554 employees, students, faculty, and trainees, 96.5% completed unconscious bias education within the fiscal year and 76% of action items, termed ?Just Do Its,? were completed. Mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities were crafted to serve as a framework for intermediate and long-term actions. The DES revealed improvement in the ?respect? attribute of an inclusive culture, and 64% of respondents confirmed that action for cultural transformation is addressing racism both within and outside of the institution.
Conclusion: Implementing a shared purpose, engaging multiple working groups representing key stakeholders, and empowerment of stakeholders to implement changes, in conjunction with the development of a strategic framework addressing structural racism, resulted in the completion of vital action items to initiate cultural change. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:23:46Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-ba2d8bcf48ca49f4881deede161c7499 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2473-1242 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:23:46Z |
publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
publisher | Mary Ann Liebert |
record_format | Article |
series | Health Equity |
spelling | doaj.art-ba2d8bcf48ca49f4881deede161c74992023-12-06T16:20:07ZengMary Ann LiebertHealth Equity2473-12422023-09-0110.1089/HEQ.2023.0093Addressing Structural Racism Using a Whole-Scale Planning Process in a Single Academic CenterPurpose: The murder of George Floyd in 2020 prompted a national demand for cultural transformation to confront the systemic racism prevalent in the country. Academic medical centers were not exempt from this urgent call. This article evaluates the efficacy of a strategic process in fostering cultural transformation within an academic medical system. Methods: A whole-scale strategic planning process was implemented over 13 months, involving multiple working groups representing key stakeholders from each entity across the system, an anonymous survey, a communication plan, and a balanced scorecard to monitor progress. More than 5500 voices, 160 recommendations, 122 data gathering sessions, and town hall meetings contributed to the creation and implementation of vital action items and a strategic framework. The Diversity Engagement Survey (DES) was administered 18 months following the process launch. Results: Of the 45,554 employees, students, faculty, and trainees, 96.5% completed unconscious bias education within the fiscal year and 76% of action items, termed ?Just Do Its,? were completed. Mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities were crafted to serve as a framework for intermediate and long-term actions. The DES revealed improvement in the ?respect? attribute of an inclusive culture, and 64% of respondents confirmed that action for cultural transformation is addressing racism both within and outside of the institution. Conclusion: Implementing a shared purpose, engaging multiple working groups representing key stakeholders, and empowerment of stakeholders to implement changes, in conjunction with the development of a strategic framework addressing structural racism, resulted in the completion of vital action items to initiate cultural change.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/HEQ.2023.0093 |
spellingShingle | Addressing Structural Racism Using a Whole-Scale Planning Process in a Single Academic Center Health Equity |
title | Addressing Structural Racism Using a Whole-Scale Planning Process in a Single Academic Center |
title_full | Addressing Structural Racism Using a Whole-Scale Planning Process in a Single Academic Center |
title_fullStr | Addressing Structural Racism Using a Whole-Scale Planning Process in a Single Academic Center |
title_full_unstemmed | Addressing Structural Racism Using a Whole-Scale Planning Process in a Single Academic Center |
title_short | Addressing Structural Racism Using a Whole-Scale Planning Process in a Single Academic Center |
title_sort | addressing structural racism using a whole scale planning process in a single academic center |
url | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/HEQ.2023.0093 |