Culture shift is needed to achieve equity in health care leadership – Crain’s Chicago Business

All organizations have three elements in common: structure, systems and culture. Generally, we tend to tinker with structure and systems much more often than we do with culture. This is not to say that changes in structure and systems cannot accomplish progress.

There is no doubt, however, that culture guides change in an organization. Large health care organizations interested in becoming more equitable can take a page from community health centers, and their approach to community engagement. Not surprisingly, many of these organizations have African American and Latinx individuals who have risen through the ranks to become leaders. They have the proverbial finger on the pulse of community issues, both those directly related to the provision of medical care, but even more criticallythose that impinge on access and outcomes: the social determinants of health.

The scale of challenges in health and health care in Chicago demands a lot more than what community health centers may achieve on their own. The opportunity for leadership of larger health care institutions in this space is so vast that even if we were able to involve all of them immediately, it would take some time to achieve equity. It is worth reiterating that diversity, equity and inclusion is everyone's job. Diversity facilitates forward movement and is a catalyst for change, but genuine change in culture is imperative for lasting progress.

Jorge A. Girotti, Ph.D., is research assistant professor of medical education and founder and former director of the Hispanic Center of Excellence, and associate dean for admissions and special curricular programs at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

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Culture shift is needed to achieve equity in health care leadership - Crain's Chicago Business