Marketing’s Role in Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

DEI is about more than representation. It’s all about creating an environment where everyone feels heard, respected, and empowered. No other industry has more of an imperative to embrace DEI than health care as the path to a healthier future for everyone.

Victor Reiss, vice president— Consumerism & Insights, UNC Health

At this year’s Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit (HMPS23) in Austin, Texas, Deb Pappas, Connecticut Children’s; Victor Reiss, UNC Health; and Michiko Tanabe, Stanford Health Care, presented a session on integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into organizational culture. Follow-up interviews with these three seasoned professionals yield valuable insights into how health systems are making strides toward creating welcoming environments and equalizing access to health care services.

“DEI strategy is an essential part of our model of team member engagement and patient family-centered care,” says Pappas. “It’s now embedded in the fabric of who we are and how we foster a more inclusive culture for our team members, patient families, and community partners.”

Reiss stresses, “To achieve equity, we must understand and address the factors in our patients’ daily lives and our health care system that limit positive health outcomes and quality of life for all of us. There is a time and place for equity and inclusion — and it’s all the time and everywhere.”

“DEI sits at the core of Stanford Medicine’s mission and is not just a project or initiative but rather a pledge and commitment to cultivate a true sense of belonging among people of all backgrounds, and to drive meaningful systemic change,” Tanabe emphasizes.

Read the full article to discover how these leading health systems are integrating DEI into their organizational culture and get 12 helpful tips on advancing DEI efforts in your own organization: Best Practices for Bringing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to Life

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President