I just finished diversity training last week - a requirement of my employment at Community Health Network - and it got me thinking about our health network's diversity initiatives.

Diversity training is admittedly not how I would have chosen to spend a full afternoon. I've lived lots of places, experienced many cultures, and engaged in similar training at former jobs--what would one more afternoon talking about it accomplish? But on reflection it was truly worthwhile. Community has created an engaging opportunity for employees to gather for a multi-disciplinary dialogue. Our instructor kept the energy level high and was willing to show her vulnerabilities to pave the way for others to participate. And who doesn't need reminding that not everyone shares your cultural values and ideas of proper behavior?

I don't have much interaction with patients, so I especially enjoyed learning about some of the tools available to clinicians when communicating with patients from diverse backgrounds. In addition to having Spanish language interpreters on staff, language differences can be overcome with the use of our language line phone service. These specially-designed telephones have two receivers that connect the clinician and patient with an interpreter who can facilitate the conversation. Additionally, Community recently implemented CultureVision technology, a web-based reference to help clinicians understand cultural preferences as they relate to health care. The best part is that it's accessible from any of our network computers.

In addition to meeting the needs of our increasingly diverse patient population, Community also fosters diversity in the workplace. On one hand, that's obvious--how could a workforce of over 10,000 employees not be diverse? But on the other, it is a choice that the network has made. An example is the recognition that Community Hospital North will receive at Noble of Indiana's 2008 Annual Celebration. Community will receive the Employment Award for hiring persons with developmental disabilities and furthering their job growth.

While I have provided just a few of the many examples of Community's commitment to diversity, you can read more on our Web site. It's an evolving initiative that will continue to focus on creating exceptional experiences for our patients, families, physicians and employees.