Selected Podcast
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: 21st Century Connections for 21st Century Success
Juana Spears Slade discusses equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Featured Speaker:
Juana Spears Slade, CDM, CCF
Juana Spears Slade, CDM, CCF is the Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Language Services, AnMed Health. Transcription:
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: 21st Century Connections for 21st Century Success
Bill Klaproth: (Host) So this special edition of the SCHMd podcast, Rapid Insights. I'm your host Bill Klaproth. We are very happy to talk with SCHMd connections bites, keynote presenter Juana Slade, chief diversity officer, and director of language services at AnMed Health about her keynote equity, diversity, and inclusion 21st-century connections for 21st-century success. So thank you for your time and great job on the keynote. So as you know, and we all know these last seven months have been a difficult time for many hospitals and health systems nationwide. Leaders at AnMed Health believe that every employee must have an opportunity to succeed and contribute. Every patient, every time must have a positive experience and that healthcare must begin before patients enter their doors and continue long after they have left all with efficiency and accuracy. So as we all work towards healthier work environments and what AnMed Health believes in, does that all start with equity, diversity, and inclusion?
Juana Slade: (Guest) Absolutely. I think that a while that the body of work of EDI solely can't be the foundation of your connections with. patients and the preparation for interactions with patients, but it only has to be taken into consideration. We've got to know who our patients are. We've got to know what their preferences are. We've got to know how they communicate. We need to know, where they live. We also need to know not only where they have come from, but, if it's been an inpatient interaction where we are discharging that patient to, what's that environment going to be like. They have the resources and wherewithal or the, even the cultural connections to follow the discharge plan, then the care plans that we send home to them or with their support person. So it's important that we know where our patients are coming from what challenges they may bring with them. And then when we send them home, we need to know that they will be fully prepared to follow our recommendations and to take care of themselves. To do those things, those two concepts pre and post may sound fairly simplistic. It is very complex when you recognize that as the provider as the community, a health system. You may not necessarily have, commonalities among all of the populations that you serve. And so we need to figure out who is coming to us, where they're coming from, and how we can adjust to make sure that they are as healthy as possible because it's to our financial benefit in addition to wanting to make sure that we take care of our patients financially, it's in our best interest. If we do that with an efficiency, Every patient every time.
Host: So equity, diversity, and inclusion are very important in that. So how do you define diversity in healthcare? How does your organization define that?
Juana: Sure. I think as I may have mentioned during the keynote we've been at this work of diversity and inclusion for the better part of the last 20 years. And we cross paths many years ago with a gentleman by the name of Dr. Roosevelt Thomas. He created a think tank in Atlanta called the American Institute for Managing Diversity. And at the time he really focused on diversity in the workplace, in the work environment. And his perspective was that if we could suspend some of the stereotypical definitions around diversity and we could galvanize ourselves around a definition that everyone could identify with. It may move the mission of the business forward or it may for a for-profit environment, it would help that environment sell its products and services more effectively and more broadly. His definition very simply said diversity is any collective mixture characterized by similarities and differences. And in a tertiary health system, we have a variety of departments and services, and programs. And so it is to our collective benefit that we are successful it matters to me if the nursing units off the clinical nursing units are successful, it matters to me if security, the security team is successful. If finance is successful and business services are delivered in, a successful and effective way. It matters collectively to all of us. So what are those things that we share in common? Not just those things that make us different, not the fact that we're different disciplines spread over three campuses and 40 practice sites. We are collectively in this together. Our motto is we're in this together and that's the truth we are interconnected and interdependent on each other's success. Less as an organization. Focus on those similarities rather than focusing solely on our differences.
Host: So I like how Dr. Thomas put that diversity is any collective mixture characterized by similarities and differences. So is this where the concept of differentiology. comes in?
Juana: Sure our CEO a few years back came up with this phrase. He coined this phrase, our term, rather the science of differentness, and it's stuck with our organization. If you do a web search for us and for that word, differentiology, and add either AnMed Health or Anderson South Carolina it will bring you to our organization. the definition is very simplistic, similar to Dr. Thomas's definition differentiology is a science of differentness. It's understanding and valuing and developing efficiencies and economies of scale and processes and procedures around those things that make us different. So how can a different approach to an issue? How can a different approach, benefit one department, one division one service? How can we make sure that all of those differences collectively come together to make our organization more efficient? So it's about respecting and embracing and taking advantage of and benefiting from our differences and similarities.
Host: Yeah, we really need to do a better job of respecting and understanding and collaborating with people where there may be differences that can really help break down the walls in any organization. So you also talked about a definition of cultural competence and its relevance to a comprehensive strategy for equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare, can you tell us about that?
Juana: Sure, cultural competence in our industry is defined as the ability of our providers and organization that's. So that's not just folks on the front line. Folks in team members, rather in a support department, that's team members at the front door, that's our volunteers. Everybody in the organization Is aware that we are coming together so that we can deliver services that will meet the cultural, social, and linguistic needs of our patients. What are the things that we need to do at the front desk to make sure that we can address the needs of a patient that walks in, who walks up and is deaf or hard of hearing? What do we need to do If we have an individual who walks up looking for care, who comes from a culture that says, when you're sick, you go to the hospital versus when you're sick, you go to your private practitioner. How can we, help To establish policies and procedures and systems That will allow us to engage and support all of our patients, no matter who they are, what do we need to do In our hiring processes to make sure that, any individual who comes seeking employment at AnMed Health Has a fair and just process of application and can be effectively considered for employment. So I think it's about the environment. We often think if we've got a policy that says, this is what we do, then that means that we're checking the box on whatever that issue is. But cultural competence is more about the system, the application of those policies. What are the actual experiences when a patient who does not speak English comes to our organization? What's the actual, Experience of a patient who doesn't Speak English Who's had a positive inpatient admission but is receiving discharge instructions, how are they going to be given those instructions? How will they receive those instructions? How can they participate in their care? Perhaps they wouldn't be able to read what we sent home with them.
Host: It sounds like Juana, what you're talking about is, applying cultural competence at all critical patient touchpoints. We're reviewing all of those touchpoints and making sure you're applying that cultural competence in all areas.
Juana: Across the entire organization. That is exactly right.
Host: So you also talked about emerging local, regional, and national implications for equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare. How does that local, regional, and national fit into the strategy?
Juana: As I said during our time together, I can only speak for our experiences here at AnMed Health and our engagement at AnMed Health. That, much like the national call to action that was issued in 2011 to the field by the American hospital association, there was a charge to, increase collection and use of race, ethnicity, and language preference data. To increase cultural competency training and to increase diversity in governance and leadership and hospital systems, all across the country I immediately responded and said, yes, you can sign me up I pledged to do that. It's it was, it has been challenging for our industry, so much, so that Aja came back in 2015 and said, you need to move the Mark on these things. And these are three deliverables that you've got to make good on. You can't just sign a pledge and say that you're going to do that. You've got an actually take action you've got to Excel. We collectively have to accelerate this pledge and we, one of the things that we found out in the ensuing years from 2011 to 2015 We recognized that we would need to accelerate the commitment. Not only would we need to execute, a pledge to do these things. Aj admonished us that it was going to be our responsibility to increase and engage our collaborative interactions with other entities across the community, across the nation. We would need to look for partnerships beyond the hospital association to make sure that Individuals could contribute and make a difference, that individual organizations and education partners, that business partner, we could identify allies who could, who were willing to contribute to this work, to address the health status in our country. Similarly in South Carolina, We've done, a similar strategy or launched a similar strategy With the Alliance for a healthier South Carolina. Our motto is that we are to convene, connect, and catalyze Around the very same, directive that the hospital association issued to health systems Across the country. We want to use data and information. We are interested in forging collaborations across the state of South Carolina. we're using, data and education. We want to make sure that not only hospitals and health systems. But the 50 collaborative partners who are part of our statewide initiative. They understand the value of cross-cultural training. They understand the value of awareness and education. And then finally, we've got to make sure that when there are opportunities to speak with a collective voice, we have to have policy and advocacy in place to move some of these broader issues around health inequity, we've got to move some of those forward through policy and advocacy, and there are partners who can help us to do that work. So I think, it was important. Nationally it's important across the state of South Carolina and we have launched a similar initiative within our own organization, and we have established AnMed Health equity coalition that Internally allows a multidisciplinary team to come together and take a look at some of the solutions, that we could design some of those solutions that have been designed that are really patient-focused and patient-centric. We recognize that not all people experience health the same way. There are social injustices, Historical injustices that we are well aware of. And so it's our responsibility to try to put together Solutions and work collaboratively to make sure that every person, every time have an opportunity, to engage and participate actively in their health here in our local market.
Host: That is really well said. And I like what you mentioned at the end that you're all working on solutions and working collaboratively. So there's a lot of moving parts to an EDI, equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy. How can someone get started to create this strategy? What are the building blocks to enact an EDI strategy?
Juana: It's my mantra, this too, I also referenced to earlier, and that is that relationships drive results. I think that, to begin this work today, while there may be a bit more of an urgency today than there was 20 years ago When I started. I think the same strategy applies and that is, I've got to figure out how to make the work of diversity and inclusion. We weren't focused as much on equity then, it was primarily, patient safety and quality, but to focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion Today requires the same partnerships and relationships that I needed 20 years ago. How do I make this work relevant for the chief financial officer? How do I make this work relevant for general counsel? How do I make this work relevant for the search for business services? How do I make this work relevant for human resources? And the list goes on. It can't just be about the person in your organization or in an organization charged with diversity. It has to belong to the entire organization. There are Around 4,000 employees here at AnMed Health. Diversity has to be a part of not to the same degree, but diversity has to be a part of all that we all do we won't be successful in equity, diversity, and inclusion. We won't be successful until everybody understands that there is a benefit. There is value across the continuum. If we are providing equitable inclusive care.
Host: I love that relationships drive results. It's really a good way to say that. And I love how you said diversity belongs to the entire organization. So that means communicating that to the entire organization. And one of the other things that you definitely stress to us was having a strategy around communication. That seems like it's so important. Tell us about that.
Juana: One of my strongest allies is the director of marketing services. I sit down with her Typically at the beginning of the year. And I talk about the program of work as I Project for the year and she will bake into her plan, her communications plans, her marketing plans, her business services plan. She will bake into that plan or those plans, the implications for diversity and inclusion. And so I can't, I just, as I can't be responsible for, the diversity policy execution, I can't communicate the importance of this work Without, structural corporate support, and that support needs to come through our marketing team.
Host: So communication is, you said is really vitally important. So as we talk about diversity, and I think we're all on board with that, and we all want to be better in this area. What if you're at a healthcare institution in an area of the country that doesn't really support Diversity in the community, in the color of people's skin, or maybe their sexual orientation or their religious beliefs. And maybe some of those same people are actually on the hospital, healthcare staff. How do you deal with those types of situations?
Juana: The first thing is to determine that diversity is much more than those things that make us different. We have one, your hospital system, your health system has one singular mission. The mission isn't defined. based on who you are, what you look like what your ethnicity may be, what language or what's your primary language may be. We want to move the organization forward. And so if we focus on what that is, that will give us the opportunity to do what's necessary to move the mission of the organization it's not about what our personal preferences may be. When we come to work, it's about moving the work forward, moving the health system forward, improving the bottom line of our health system, making sure that a patient, whether we think a patient should receive information in another language or not, it is financially in our best interest That we get that care right. For that patient. And that we send them home with information that they will understand and a care plan that they can follow. It will cost us money if it's an inpatient mission and they're back within 30 days. So I think when it comes to Finding out what your connections are, or more importantly are not in your organization around diversity, make sure that the diversity definition is inclusive of those things we share in common. First, rather than those things that make us different.
Host: Extremely well said. So it's not about personal preferences. It's really all about Moving that patient experience and patient health care and focusing on those things that we all share in common.
Juana: Which is the mission of the system. cause at work that's why we're here. We are here. To execute and successfully accomplish. The mission of a health system.
Host: Got it. So then last question, Juana. And thank you so much for your time. What is the biggest roadblock to equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare, in your opinion?
Juana: I think it's not just in healthcare, but it's in diversity, health, equity, and inclusion. Diversity equity inclusion, in total. That's Stereotypes. If you are willing to have conversations, even if you initially, I disagree with someone, but if you are willing and open to conversations, Again, back to diversity and, driving results. If you're willing to be in a relationship with someone who may be different than you. You may end up being able to make a difference. So suspending stereotypes is the number one challenge.
Host: Suspending stereotypes so easy to remember, and if we could all do that. This world would be a better place. And you said, if you're willing to be in relationships with someone who may be different than you, then you can make a difference. And that's what everyone in healthcare is trying to do. Make a difference.
Juana: Absolutely. That is so well said.
Host: Thank you so much for your time. This has really been good. The keynote was called equity, diversity, and inclusion, 21st-century connections for 21st Century Success. Juana Slade, chief diversity officer, and director of language services at AnMed Health one. And this has really been great. Thank you so much for your time.
Juana: Glad to be here and thank you for having me.
Host: Another great keynote from another great conference this year, 2020 Connections bites. Our thanks again, to Juana Slade from AnMed Health, one of our keynoters this year, and to learn more about Med Connections Bites. Just visit shsmd.org/education/shsmd/connections/bites. And if you found this podcast helpful and of course, how could you not please share it on all of your social channels, and please hit the subscribe or follow button to get every episode. This has been a production of Dr. Podcasting I'm Bill Klaproth, see ya.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: 21st Century Connections for 21st Century Success
Bill Klaproth: (Host) So this special edition of the SCHMd podcast, Rapid Insights. I'm your host Bill Klaproth. We are very happy to talk with SCHMd connections bites, keynote presenter Juana Slade, chief diversity officer, and director of language services at AnMed Health about her keynote equity, diversity, and inclusion 21st-century connections for 21st-century success. So thank you for your time and great job on the keynote. So as you know, and we all know these last seven months have been a difficult time for many hospitals and health systems nationwide. Leaders at AnMed Health believe that every employee must have an opportunity to succeed and contribute. Every patient, every time must have a positive experience and that healthcare must begin before patients enter their doors and continue long after they have left all with efficiency and accuracy. So as we all work towards healthier work environments and what AnMed Health believes in, does that all start with equity, diversity, and inclusion?
Juana Slade: (Guest) Absolutely. I think that a while that the body of work of EDI solely can't be the foundation of your connections with. patients and the preparation for interactions with patients, but it only has to be taken into consideration. We've got to know who our patients are. We've got to know what their preferences are. We've got to know how they communicate. We need to know, where they live. We also need to know not only where they have come from, but, if it's been an inpatient interaction where we are discharging that patient to, what's that environment going to be like. They have the resources and wherewithal or the, even the cultural connections to follow the discharge plan, then the care plans that we send home to them or with their support person. So it's important that we know where our patients are coming from what challenges they may bring with them. And then when we send them home, we need to know that they will be fully prepared to follow our recommendations and to take care of themselves. To do those things, those two concepts pre and post may sound fairly simplistic. It is very complex when you recognize that as the provider as the community, a health system. You may not necessarily have, commonalities among all of the populations that you serve. And so we need to figure out who is coming to us, where they're coming from, and how we can adjust to make sure that they are as healthy as possible because it's to our financial benefit in addition to wanting to make sure that we take care of our patients financially, it's in our best interest. If we do that with an efficiency, Every patient every time.
Host: So equity, diversity, and inclusion are very important in that. So how do you define diversity in healthcare? How does your organization define that?
Juana: Sure. I think as I may have mentioned during the keynote we've been at this work of diversity and inclusion for the better part of the last 20 years. And we cross paths many years ago with a gentleman by the name of Dr. Roosevelt Thomas. He created a think tank in Atlanta called the American Institute for Managing Diversity. And at the time he really focused on diversity in the workplace, in the work environment. And his perspective was that if we could suspend some of the stereotypical definitions around diversity and we could galvanize ourselves around a definition that everyone could identify with. It may move the mission of the business forward or it may for a for-profit environment, it would help that environment sell its products and services more effectively and more broadly. His definition very simply said diversity is any collective mixture characterized by similarities and differences. And in a tertiary health system, we have a variety of departments and services, and programs. And so it is to our collective benefit that we are successful it matters to me if the nursing units off the clinical nursing units are successful, it matters to me if security, the security team is successful. If finance is successful and business services are delivered in, a successful and effective way. It matters collectively to all of us. So what are those things that we share in common? Not just those things that make us different, not the fact that we're different disciplines spread over three campuses and 40 practice sites. We are collectively in this together. Our motto is we're in this together and that's the truth we are interconnected and interdependent on each other's success. Less as an organization. Focus on those similarities rather than focusing solely on our differences.
Host: So I like how Dr. Thomas put that diversity is any collective mixture characterized by similarities and differences. So is this where the concept of differentiology. comes in?
Juana: Sure our CEO a few years back came up with this phrase. He coined this phrase, our term, rather the science of differentness, and it's stuck with our organization. If you do a web search for us and for that word, differentiology, and add either AnMed Health or Anderson South Carolina it will bring you to our organization. the definition is very simplistic, similar to Dr. Thomas's definition differentiology is a science of differentness. It's understanding and valuing and developing efficiencies and economies of scale and processes and procedures around those things that make us different. So how can a different approach to an issue? How can a different approach, benefit one department, one division one service? How can we make sure that all of those differences collectively come together to make our organization more efficient? So it's about respecting and embracing and taking advantage of and benefiting from our differences and similarities.
Host: Yeah, we really need to do a better job of respecting and understanding and collaborating with people where there may be differences that can really help break down the walls in any organization. So you also talked about a definition of cultural competence and its relevance to a comprehensive strategy for equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare, can you tell us about that?
Juana: Sure, cultural competence in our industry is defined as the ability of our providers and organization that's. So that's not just folks on the front line. Folks in team members, rather in a support department, that's team members at the front door, that's our volunteers. Everybody in the organization Is aware that we are coming together so that we can deliver services that will meet the cultural, social, and linguistic needs of our patients. What are the things that we need to do at the front desk to make sure that we can address the needs of a patient that walks in, who walks up and is deaf or hard of hearing? What do we need to do If we have an individual who walks up looking for care, who comes from a culture that says, when you're sick, you go to the hospital versus when you're sick, you go to your private practitioner. How can we, help To establish policies and procedures and systems That will allow us to engage and support all of our patients, no matter who they are, what do we need to do In our hiring processes to make sure that, any individual who comes seeking employment at AnMed Health Has a fair and just process of application and can be effectively considered for employment. So I think it's about the environment. We often think if we've got a policy that says, this is what we do, then that means that we're checking the box on whatever that issue is. But cultural competence is more about the system, the application of those policies. What are the actual experiences when a patient who does not speak English comes to our organization? What's the actual, Experience of a patient who doesn't Speak English Who's had a positive inpatient admission but is receiving discharge instructions, how are they going to be given those instructions? How will they receive those instructions? How can they participate in their care? Perhaps they wouldn't be able to read what we sent home with them.
Host: It sounds like Juana, what you're talking about is, applying cultural competence at all critical patient touchpoints. We're reviewing all of those touchpoints and making sure you're applying that cultural competence in all areas.
Juana: Across the entire organization. That is exactly right.
Host: So you also talked about emerging local, regional, and national implications for equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare. How does that local, regional, and national fit into the strategy?
Juana: As I said during our time together, I can only speak for our experiences here at AnMed Health and our engagement at AnMed Health. That, much like the national call to action that was issued in 2011 to the field by the American hospital association, there was a charge to, increase collection and use of race, ethnicity, and language preference data. To increase cultural competency training and to increase diversity in governance and leadership and hospital systems, all across the country I immediately responded and said, yes, you can sign me up I pledged to do that. It's it was, it has been challenging for our industry, so much, so that Aja came back in 2015 and said, you need to move the Mark on these things. And these are three deliverables that you've got to make good on. You can't just sign a pledge and say that you're going to do that. You've got an actually take action you've got to Excel. We collectively have to accelerate this pledge and we, one of the things that we found out in the ensuing years from 2011 to 2015 We recognized that we would need to accelerate the commitment. Not only would we need to execute, a pledge to do these things. Aj admonished us that it was going to be our responsibility to increase and engage our collaborative interactions with other entities across the community, across the nation. We would need to look for partnerships beyond the hospital association to make sure that Individuals could contribute and make a difference, that individual organizations and education partners, that business partner, we could identify allies who could, who were willing to contribute to this work, to address the health status in our country. Similarly in South Carolina, We've done, a similar strategy or launched a similar strategy With the Alliance for a healthier South Carolina. Our motto is that we are to convene, connect, and catalyze Around the very same, directive that the hospital association issued to health systems Across the country. We want to use data and information. We are interested in forging collaborations across the state of South Carolina. we're using, data and education. We want to make sure that not only hospitals and health systems. But the 50 collaborative partners who are part of our statewide initiative. They understand the value of cross-cultural training. They understand the value of awareness and education. And then finally, we've got to make sure that when there are opportunities to speak with a collective voice, we have to have policy and advocacy in place to move some of these broader issues around health inequity, we've got to move some of those forward through policy and advocacy, and there are partners who can help us to do that work. So I think, it was important. Nationally it's important across the state of South Carolina and we have launched a similar initiative within our own organization, and we have established AnMed Health equity coalition that Internally allows a multidisciplinary team to come together and take a look at some of the solutions, that we could design some of those solutions that have been designed that are really patient-focused and patient-centric. We recognize that not all people experience health the same way. There are social injustices, Historical injustices that we are well aware of. And so it's our responsibility to try to put together Solutions and work collaboratively to make sure that every person, every time have an opportunity, to engage and participate actively in their health here in our local market.
Host: That is really well said. And I like what you mentioned at the end that you're all working on solutions and working collaboratively. So there's a lot of moving parts to an EDI, equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy. How can someone get started to create this strategy? What are the building blocks to enact an EDI strategy?
Juana: It's my mantra, this too, I also referenced to earlier, and that is that relationships drive results. I think that, to begin this work today, while there may be a bit more of an urgency today than there was 20 years ago When I started. I think the same strategy applies and that is, I've got to figure out how to make the work of diversity and inclusion. We weren't focused as much on equity then, it was primarily, patient safety and quality, but to focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion Today requires the same partnerships and relationships that I needed 20 years ago. How do I make this work relevant for the chief financial officer? How do I make this work relevant for general counsel? How do I make this work relevant for the search for business services? How do I make this work relevant for human resources? And the list goes on. It can't just be about the person in your organization or in an organization charged with diversity. It has to belong to the entire organization. There are Around 4,000 employees here at AnMed Health. Diversity has to be a part of not to the same degree, but diversity has to be a part of all that we all do we won't be successful in equity, diversity, and inclusion. We won't be successful until everybody understands that there is a benefit. There is value across the continuum. If we are providing equitable inclusive care.
Host: I love that relationships drive results. It's really a good way to say that. And I love how you said diversity belongs to the entire organization. So that means communicating that to the entire organization. And one of the other things that you definitely stress to us was having a strategy around communication. That seems like it's so important. Tell us about that.
Juana: One of my strongest allies is the director of marketing services. I sit down with her Typically at the beginning of the year. And I talk about the program of work as I Project for the year and she will bake into her plan, her communications plans, her marketing plans, her business services plan. She will bake into that plan or those plans, the implications for diversity and inclusion. And so I can't, I just, as I can't be responsible for, the diversity policy execution, I can't communicate the importance of this work Without, structural corporate support, and that support needs to come through our marketing team.
Host: So communication is, you said is really vitally important. So as we talk about diversity, and I think we're all on board with that, and we all want to be better in this area. What if you're at a healthcare institution in an area of the country that doesn't really support Diversity in the community, in the color of people's skin, or maybe their sexual orientation or their religious beliefs. And maybe some of those same people are actually on the hospital, healthcare staff. How do you deal with those types of situations?
Juana: The first thing is to determine that diversity is much more than those things that make us different. We have one, your hospital system, your health system has one singular mission. The mission isn't defined. based on who you are, what you look like what your ethnicity may be, what language or what's your primary language may be. We want to move the organization forward. And so if we focus on what that is, that will give us the opportunity to do what's necessary to move the mission of the organization it's not about what our personal preferences may be. When we come to work, it's about moving the work forward, moving the health system forward, improving the bottom line of our health system, making sure that a patient, whether we think a patient should receive information in another language or not, it is financially in our best interest That we get that care right. For that patient. And that we send them home with information that they will understand and a care plan that they can follow. It will cost us money if it's an inpatient mission and they're back within 30 days. So I think when it comes to Finding out what your connections are, or more importantly are not in your organization around diversity, make sure that the diversity definition is inclusive of those things we share in common. First, rather than those things that make us different.
Host: Extremely well said. So it's not about personal preferences. It's really all about Moving that patient experience and patient health care and focusing on those things that we all share in common.
Juana: Which is the mission of the system. cause at work that's why we're here. We are here. To execute and successfully accomplish. The mission of a health system.
Host: Got it. So then last question, Juana. And thank you so much for your time. What is the biggest roadblock to equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare, in your opinion?
Juana: I think it's not just in healthcare, but it's in diversity, health, equity, and inclusion. Diversity equity inclusion, in total. That's Stereotypes. If you are willing to have conversations, even if you initially, I disagree with someone, but if you are willing and open to conversations, Again, back to diversity and, driving results. If you're willing to be in a relationship with someone who may be different than you. You may end up being able to make a difference. So suspending stereotypes is the number one challenge.
Host: Suspending stereotypes so easy to remember, and if we could all do that. This world would be a better place. And you said, if you're willing to be in relationships with someone who may be different than you, then you can make a difference. And that's what everyone in healthcare is trying to do. Make a difference.
Juana: Absolutely. That is so well said.
Host: Thank you so much for your time. This has really been good. The keynote was called equity, diversity, and inclusion, 21st-century connections for 21st Century Success. Juana Slade, chief diversity officer, and director of language services at AnMed Health one. And this has really been great. Thank you so much for your time.
Juana: Glad to be here and thank you for having me.
Host: Another great keynote from another great conference this year, 2020 Connections bites. Our thanks again, to Juana Slade from AnMed Health, one of our keynoters this year, and to learn more about Med Connections Bites. Just visit shsmd.org/education/shsmd/connections/bites. And if you found this podcast helpful and of course, how could you not please share it on all of your social channels, and please hit the subscribe or follow button to get every episode. This has been a production of Dr. Podcasting I'm Bill Klaproth, see ya.