UC Davis Medical Center receives national honors for promoting diversity

UC Davis Medical Center last week was honored for achievements in promoting diversity at the 2012 National Leadership and Education Conference in Nashville.

The Institute for Diversity in Health Management hosted the conference, which honored hospitals from across the country that scored highly in "Diversity and Disparities: A Benchmarking Study of U.S. Hospitals." The survey recognizes high-performing hospitals and highlights the advancements they are making in key areas that can promote equitable care, such as the collection of key demographic data, cultural competency training and the promotion of leadership diversity.

The survey results provide a snapshot of some common strategies used to improve the quality of care that hospitals provide to all patients, regardless of race or ethnicity.

"We are committed to ensuring that all patients receive the very best care for their particular needs," said Ann Madden Rice, CEO of UC Davis Medical Center. "Our medical center is in one of the most diverse cities in California, and collecting accurate race, ethnicity and language data is critically important for improving the health of the patients and communities we serve."

The institute recognized UC Davis Medical Center as "Best in Class" for its work in one of four categories assessed by the survey: Diversity Management and Strengthening the Workforce. Recognition for this category is based on hospitals' reported efforts to improve diversity management through efforts to recruit, retain and promote minority individuals within their workforce.

Among the key findings of the institute's report are data regarding the accurate collection of demographic data, which can help hospitals tailor the delivery of care to their patients and develop appropriate quality-improvement interventions. Since launching an initiative almost 18 months ago to systematically collect race, ethnicity and language data from its patients, UC Davis Medical Center now is successfully retrieving that information from nearly 75 percent of patients.

The institute sent its survey to the CEOs of all U.S. registered hospitals, and received responses from 924 of them. The institute is an affiliate of the American Hospital Association.