Diversity is our strength!

Valuing and appreciating diversity are key requirements for health care organizations faced with increasingly diverse workforces and patient populations. Diversity issues are central to effectively functioning teams, patient outcomes, staff satisfaction, recruitment, and retention. Shands HealthCare, a health care system containing a large teaching medical center and several community hospitals and clinics centered around Gainesville, Florida, made a commitment to take the necessary steps to make diversity a priority and strategic initiative. A systemwide diversity initiative was launched in 1998. Diversity was defined, and organizational leaders were developed as "Ambassadors for Diversity." The Ambassadors developed an extensive training program that all staff and managers attend upon hiring. The primary goal of the program is to create a culture of respect and appreciation for diversity. Over 2,500 employees and managers have attended the training.