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For other articles and previous issues click here. January 26, 2004 Encouraging
Diversity in HIM Diversity management is easily seen as someone else’s job. Typically, human resources is responsible for statistical reporting required by government regulations. Purchasing takes ownership of supplier diversity initiatives. The legal department or outside counsel addresses discrimination lawsuits. Training departments or consultants offer courses on cultural sensitivity and diversity awareness. Larger healthcare organizations often employ a diversity coordinator to align these disparate activities into a single strategy. Is there a role for the HIM professional when it comes to developing a work environment where diversity thrives? According to Linda L. Kloss, RHIA, CAE, executive vice president and CEO of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), there is little doubt to the answer. “We are committed to the long term. Our focus is promoting and celebrating diversity within the profession and association,” she says enthusiastically. It is a goal she is personally committed to; Kloss remembers entering a profession with little diversity. “I am encouraged by AHIMA data showing that the current HIM student population is more diverse than the U.S. population,” she notes. While she calls data showing that 6% of HIM professionals are male “insufficient,” it is growing. In 2002, when the AHIMA Diversity Task Force completed its mission, an active, diverse community of practice developed on the AHIMA Web site (www.ahima.org). Kloss encourages HIM professionals to get involved in diversity efforts on state and national levels to leverage the task force’s momentum. The 21st century is an unprecedented time for diversity in the workforce. In addition to ethnicity and gender, workplaces are struggling to accommodate the needs of a multigenerational staff. Recently, the American Association of Retired Persons surveyed more than 2,000 members between the ages of 50 and 70. Five percent of the respondents plan to never retire, and more than 60% expect to work at least part-time. Increasingly, older adults are raising grandchildren while working, and the number of single parents in the workforce, of both genders, has increased dramatically. According to census data, 20 million children in the United States lived in a single-parent household in 2000. In an effort to reflect the communities that they serve, many healthcare organizations attempt to promote an inclusive work environment. These organizations value and respect the contributions of employees with religious preferences, differing sexual orientation, and those protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Organizations that are frequently cited as good places for minorities to work or champions of diversity also partner with suppliers that reflect their commitment to providing an inclusive workforce. However, companies trying to mandate diversity, inclusions, or acceptance with an institutional approach may win awards, but they do not necessarily succeed on an individual level. In October 2001, Korn/Ferry International, an executive recruitment firm, conducted a small study titled “Best Practices for Diversity: Corporate & Candidates Perspectives.” The purpose of the study was to compare diversity initiatives in large corporations and the diversity needs of African American, Asian, and Latino/Hispanic executives and professionals. Both groups agreed that senior management’s commitment to diversity was important to the success of creating an inclusive environment for all employees. In what is described by the study’s author as a “significant disconnect,” 74% of the executives believed that their programs were effective in creating diversity while only 38% of the professionals agreed. As this study indicates, valuing and showing respect for other points of view, experiences, and backgrounds ultimately begins with one-to-one relationships. In Making Diversity Work: Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace (Dearborn Trade Publishing, October 2003), Sondra Thiederman, PhD, says, “Employers scrambling to implement company-wide policies to combat race and discrimination are on the wrong track. It is individuals who must change.” Thiederman’s approach to diversity management is a combination of workers taking individual responsibility and people looking for attributes that they share with others to defeat bias. “Bias is the tendency to prejudge others according to the group they belong to,” explains Thiederman. In Making Diversity Work, Thiederman describes how a term she calls “guerilla bias” is employed in the workplace by nice people, often concealed behind good intentions, kind words, and thoughtful acts. “When someone thinks that all women, emerging groups, people with disabilities, or others outside the so-called majority population are to some degree fragile, quick to explode, or in need of special treatment, it is a destructive premise,” according to Thiederman. “We have to hold ourselves and everyone else in the workplace to a high standard. It is patronizing to not tell someone when they are doing something wrong. Everyone has biases regardless of their race, gender, or background. It costs business in the form of litigation, lost employees, diminished sales, lost customers, and wasted time.” Many healthcare organizations and their suppliers require cost-justification for their diversity initiatives or a “business case” to support a return on investment before senior management will implement initiatives to help employees address bias issues. “Companies will spend $100,000 to redecorate a lobby or maintain their landscape and no one measures the profitability,” says Thiederman. Bias costs American businesses millions of dollars, according to Thiederman. Even companies that are not hit with headline-making discrimination suits are faced with attorney fees, employment practices liability insurance, court costs, and out-of-court settlements. In more than 18 years of executive search, Steve Buckner, president of Washington D.C.-based Buckner & Associates, says, “Race is still a taboo subject in corporate America with considerable issues going back to the 1960s.” While Buckner agrees that individuals and professional organizations have a role to play in addressing diversity, he says that the most successful organizations have the commitment of senior management. Buckner offers solutions at the corporate and individual levels to create an environment that encourages diversity. At an institutional level, Buckner suggests that organizations develop diverse sourcing strategies. “This is the process of identifying leads to find a pool of qualified and prescreened women and people of color,” he explains. From this, Buckner says that companies develop a “pipeline” of potential candidates. “The key to developing diverse sourcing strategies is establishing and maintaining relationships,” he notes. In Buckner’s experience, diverse sourcing is not a separate staffing program in organizations with the most successful diversity efforts. “There has to be a commitment that starts from the top—in day-to-day communication with line managers. Senior management has to make sure that its staff is thinking about the overall impact of diversity on the organization,” he explains. In addition to diverse sourcing strategies, Buckner says that his experience with organizations that promoted a true performance-based environment, as opposed to other criteria, generally embraced talented people from all backgrounds and abilities. Organizations linking diversity and inclusion goals to management bonuses and other compensation-related rewards generally have more commitment to encourage diversity. Buckner advises HIM professionals in supervisory and management positions to encourage diversity by working with human resources to influence the hiring process. He advises hiring managers who are not afraid to ask for diverse candidates. Buckner advises all levels of employees to let people know about their employer if they value diversity. “Most organizations offer a referral program, and employees may receive a payment for referring someone who is hired,” says Buckner. Mentoring programs are also available to HIM professionals through the AHIMA. Kloss says that the mentor program was a recommendation of the Diversity Task Force. Jim Condon, MSA, RHIA, CTR, mentors students as an instructor in the HIM program at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. “I came through the program myself,” explains Condon, “and your class advisor is the same person who interviews you for the program.” He says that this personal approach to each applicant and student provides a mentor relationship between the faculty members and students. Condon says that one of the highlights for applicants is something called a “Closer-Look Tour.” “Basically, what we do is tour students through the health information management department at the Medical College of Georgia Hospital like they were a medical record and transformed into a document that can stand legal scrutiny and is used for reimbursement,” he says. “We even take new admissions counselors on the tour so they understand the program better and can explain it to prospective students.” Condon never heard of HIM when he was looking for a new career after spending more than 20 years in the military. He liked the blend of business, science, law, and information systems. After completing the program, he started in the cancer registry, earned a master’s degree, worked in other HIM positions, and eventually was offered a position as an instructor. He has recruited other males into the field. “This field is not on a lot of people’s radar screens, and, in the past, men may have thought of it along the lines of a librarian or secretary. They misunderstand what is involved now,” says Condon. It is a slow trend, but he says that more men enter the program every year. Matthew Harrison is one of two men in the class of nine that started in August 2003. “Originally, I was a business major. I was always interested in healthcare, but I didn’t want to work directly with patients,” says Harrison. The idea of combining his interest in healthcare with business was one of the appeals of HIM. “I could see a big future in this field,” he says. “After I complete the program and gain some experience, I might work in sales for an HIM supplier since I have sales experience.” Condon and the other faculty members also make time
to go into the minority community and speak to high school juniors
and seniors about careers in HIM. These efforts have resulted in
diverse classes featuring students from Asia, Africa, Brazil, the
Philippines, and Yugoslavia. “When everyone is working together
and you have different experiences and backgrounds, there is a lot
of energy in the classroom,” says Condon. In November 2003, a new report from the General Accounting Office revealed that women earn 20% less than men in the workplace. While the report stated that “limitations in survey data and statistical analysis prevented a full explanation of the earnings difference,” it suggested discrimination could be a factor. The Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility reports that Hispanics make up 14% of the U.S. population and 10.3% of the private sector workforce, but only 4.5% are officials or managers. According to the 2000 census, African American earnings significantly lag behind the salaries of Caucasian workers. With statistics like those, it’s time to move toward change. “Make those moments of tension in the workplace an opportunity to begin a dialogue,” Thiederman says. “It is our responsibility to make this work.” — Brenda L. Johnson, SPHR, is an Indianapolis-based
writer, consultant, and public speaker. She can be reached through
www.4innovations.com.
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