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

by Committee on Inst and Policy-Level Strategies

• ISBN13: 9780309091251
• ISBN10: 030909125X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: NATL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

Summary

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. "Healthcare'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 who implement these strategies. Assessing the potential benefits of greater racial and ethnic diversityamong health professionals will improve the access to and quality of healthcare for all Americans.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary	1	(22)
Introduction	23	(32)
Reconceptualizing Admissions Policies and Practices	55	(33)
Costs and Financing of Health Professions Education	88	(39)
Accreditation and Diversity in Health Professions	127	(16)
Transforming the Institutional Climate to Enhance Diversity In Health Professions	143	(35)
Community Benefit as a Tool for Institutional Reform	178	(25)
Mechanisms to Garner Support for Institutional and Policy-level Diversity Initiatives	203	(188)
Appendixes
A Data Sources and Methods	213	(7)
B Committee and Staff Biographies	220	(13)
Commissioned Papers
Increasing Diversity in the Health Professions: A Look at Best Practices in Admissions	233	(40)
Gabriel Garcia
Cathryn L. Nation
Neil H. Parker
The Role of Public Financing in Improving Diversity in the Health Professions	273	(44)
Karen Matherlee
The Role of Accreditation in Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Health Professions	317	(28)
Norma E. Wagoner
Leon Johnson
Harry S. Jonas
Diversity Considerations in Health Professions Education	345	(46)
Jeffrey F. Milem
Eric L. Dey
Casey B. White
Index	391