Road Map
Making DEI Matter in Post-Acute Care
How one company prioritized inclusiveness & saw results
By Jerry Farmer
In today’s dynamic health care landscape, the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) cannot be overstated. DEI represents policies and procedures that promote the representation and participation of diverse groups of individuals who encompass all ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations. Companies in the post-acute health care sector are recognizing the profound impact that a diverse workforce has on fostering innovation, improving patient care and driving overall success. Here at AccentCare, we’re embracing DEI not just as a moral imperative but also as a strategic necessity as we aim to thrive in an ever-evolving industry.
Promoting DEI creates a more equitable work environment, ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all individuals irrespective of their background. This is particularly vital because it directly impacts patient outcomes. Equitable representation and access to resources help bridge gaps in health care disparities, ensuring that diverse patient populations receive the attention and care they need. By cultivating an inclusive workplace, we contribute to a culture of fairness that extends beyond our organization and positively influences the broader health care landscape.
In the context of health care, diversity extends beyond race and gender to encompass a range of perspectives, experiences and skills. A diverse workforce brings together individuals with unique backgrounds, allowing for a richer tapestry of ideas and approaches to care. This diversity of thought is particularly important in health care, where innovative solutions and patient-centric care require a multifaceted understanding of the complex challenges faced by diverse communities. Caregivers who are knowledgeable about different cultures and practices are better equipped to provide care that is respectful to the needs of all patients, which leads to better healing and patient outcomes.
We are stronger together when each of us is empowered to grow, to be our unique selves & to feel a sense of inclusion & belonging.
Equity ensures fairness and impartiality, not only in hiring practices but also in patient care and treatment. Health care organizations committed to equity recognize and address disparities in access to care, treatment outcomes and opportunities for advancement within the industry. By prioritizing equity, companies can contribute to reducing health care disparities and fostering a culture of trust and inclusivity.
Inclusion is the glue that holds diversity and equity together, creating an environment where every individual feels valued and heard. In a health care setting, fostering an inclusive culture is paramount for building strong, collaborative teams that can effectively address the diverse needs of patients. An inclusive workplace promotes employee engagement, satisfaction and retention, contributing to improved organizational performance.
More companies are looking to promote diversity, equity and inclusion internally. At AccentCare, we achieved measurable DEI results—improving the company’s DEI Index—year over year through strategy, road map, programs and initiatives. Health care is most compassionate when team members empathize and engage with everyone. We serve our patients, their families and each other most effectively when all our work environments are safe, respectful and welcoming. We are at our very best as trusted guides when we value diverse perspectives, foster open dialogue and enact change. We are stronger together when each of us is empowered to grow, to be our unique selves and to feel a sense of inclusion and belonging.
Here are some of the key factors our company focused to reach diversity, equity and inclusion milestones:
- Executive leadership training was introduced for the senior director leadership roles and above. The training focused on building culture, inclusion and understanding bias.
- We partnered with SAGECare to educate the hospice leadership team and hospice staff annually in areas such as LGBTQ+ elderly care and the organization was named a platinum credential provider by SAGECare for the second year in a row for having more than 80% of leaders go through the elderly care training.
- The organization spearheaded bias training initiatives to raise awareness and mitigate unconscious biases in decision-making processes and evaluating performance to all managers.
- We established a Culture and Inclusion Council made up of team members from diverse backgrounds, experiences and levels to drive organizational change and ensure diverse perspectives are considered in decision-making.
As a result of these initiatives, AccentCare has observed a measurable increase in employee engagement (a 6% increase year over year) and participant satisfaction scores of 90 for training. These results reflect the fact that more inclusive behaviors are being observed throughout the organization by our team members, which shows more employees are feeling valued and heard. Our commitment to DEI is not merely a check box, but a transformative journey.
Jerry Farmer is vice president-DEI for the post-acute care company AccentCare, which was recognized by Newsweek in 2024 as one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.” Visit accentcare.com.
