Embracing Equity-Centered Leadership in Healthcare
As a Special Education Director, I understand the importance of equity and inclusion in educational settings. Similarly, the healthcare sector is also striving to address disparities and promote health equity. The research article "Advancing Health Equity Through Equity-Centered Leadership Development with Interprofessional Healthcare Teams" offers valuable insights into how healthcare professionals can improve their skills and drive meaningful change in their organizations and communities.
The Need for Equity-Centered Leadership
The events of 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of social justice movements, highlighted the urgent need for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in healthcare. The disparities in disease risk, morbidity, and mortality among different racial and ethnic groups have underscored the need for healthcare professionals to develop skills that address these inequities.
Clinical Scholars National Leadership Institute (CSNLI)
The CSNLI is a three-year intensive leadership program designed to equip healthcare professionals with the skills necessary to advance health equity. The program focuses on developing competencies across personal, interpersonal, organizational, and systems domains. Participants engage in in-person and distance-based learning activities, which help them grow from individual contributors to leaders of teams, communities, and systems.
Key Competencies for Equity-Centered Leadership
- Personal Domain: Commitment to intercultural development and social justice.
- Interpersonal Domain: Practice of multiculturalism and effective communication.
- Organizational Domain: Building organizational capacity for health equity and fostering diversity and inclusion.
- Community and Systems Domain: Engaging meaningfully with communities and addressing social determinants of health.
Program Evaluation and Results
The program's evaluation, based on the Kirkpatrick Model, showed significant gains in participants' EDI competencies. Participants demonstrated behavioral changes and leadership activities that resulted in organizational and system changes. The results highlight the importance of centering leadership development on EDI to drive real change in the healthcare system.
Encouraging Further Research and Implementation
Healthcare practitioners are encouraged to explore the outcomes of this research and consider implementing similar leadership development programs within their organizations. By fostering an environment that prioritizes equity and inclusion, healthcare professionals can contribute to reducing disparities and promoting health equity.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Advancing Health Equity Through Equity-Centered Leadership Development with Interprofessional Healthcare Teams.
