Creating an Inclusive Workplace in Healthcare

As part of the Curi Heath Equity Series, on May 6, Susie Silver, a Senior Consultant and LGBTQ+ subject matter expert at The Diversity Movement presented a webinar addressing the ways that organizations can practice greater inclusion by understanding and addressing unconscious bias.

During the webinar, “Creating an Inclusive Workplace in Healthcare,” Silver explored the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and introduced participants to unconscious bias and the important role of inclusive language within the workplace. She also provided attendees with tips to manage bias and invited them to participate in action-oriented reflection.

Unpacking and Managing Bias

Silver outlined facts associated with racial and LGBTQ+ disparities within healthcare, citing reports of discrimination, mistreatment, and other forms of marginalization. Recent studies have shown that those with low socioeconomic status, people of color, and individuals within the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately affected by issues within the healthcare system, such as refusal of care, mistreatment, and less access to quality care.

Silver further shared that that prejudice is often born of biases, both conscious and unconscious. These unconscious biases are learned stereotypes that are automatic, unintentional, deeply ingrained, and able to influence behavior. She also shared that this form of bias can often be in direct conflict with conscious values held by an individual, but that this is a universal experience. By identifying assumptions and stereotypes, individuals have the ability to manage these biases through internal reflection. With this presentation, she also explored the importance of inclusive language as a means to lead and influence diverse teams, recruit new talent, and spark innovation and creativity among individuals in the workplace.

As Silver explained during the webinar, diversity can take the form of both visible or inherent traits, as well as invisible and acquired traits, all of which can influence our individual frames of reference. By unpacking these traits and identifying personal biases, individuals will create the opportunity for more diverse and inclusive experiences both in and outside of the workforce.

For more in-depth learning about this topic, please scroll below to view a recording of the webinar in its entirety or visit the new health equity resource page on Curi’s website.