In the Nation's Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health-Care Workforce - Hardcover

Institute Of Medicine; Board On Health Sciences Policy; Committee On Institutional And Policy-Level Strategies For Increasing The Diversity Of The U.S. Health Care Workforce

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 030909125X ISBN 13: 9780309091251

Publisher: National Academies Press, 2004

Synopsis

The United States is rapidly transforming into one of the most racially and ethnically diverse nations in the world. Groups commonly referred to as minorities―including Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives―are the fastest growing segments of the population and emerging as the nation's majority. Despite the rapid growth of racial and ethnic minority groups, their representation among the nation's health professionals has grown only modestly in the past 25 years. This alarming disparity has prompted the recent creation of initiatives to increase diversity in health professions.

In the Nation's Compelling Interest considers the benefits of greater racial and ethnic diversity, and identifies institutional and policy-level mechanisms to garner broad support among health professions leaders, community members, and other key stakeholders to implement these strategies. Assessing the potential benefits of greater racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals will improve the access to and quality of healthcare for all Americans.

Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• Executive Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Reconceptualizing Admissions Policies and Practices
• 3 Costs and Financing of Health Professions Education
• 4 Accreditation and Diversity in Health Professions
• 5 Transforming the Institutional Climate to Enhance Diversity in Health Professions
• 6 Community Benefit as a Tool for Institutional Reform
• 7 Mechanisms to Garner Support for Institutional and Policy-Level Diversity Initiatives
• Appendix A: Data Sources and Methods
• Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographies
• Commissioned Papers: Contribution A: Increasing Diversity in the Health Professions: A Look at Best Practices in Admissions
• Contribution B: The Role of Public Financing in Improving Diversity in the Health Professions
• Contribution C: The Role of Accreditation in Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Health Professions
• Contribution D: Diversity Considerations in Health Professions Education
• Index

About this title

About the Author

Committee on Institutional and Policy-Level Strategies for Increasing the Diversity of the U.S. Healthcare Workforce

Edition details

• Publisher: National Academies Press
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 030909125X
• ISBN 13: 9780309091251
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 429
• Editor: Bristow Lonnie R., Butler Adrienne Stith, Smedley Brian D.