Businesses operate best with diverse leaders from different backgrounds. Diversity allows people to bring in their different experiences to create a collaborative network, and we know collaboration is key when working as a medical professional. We’re highlighting why diversity matters in healthcare.

Black Leaders in Healthcare Are Changing the Medical Landscape

Diversity in healthcare leadership matters

There are many multifaceted issues that shape the healthcare industry, including diversity. Diversity matters in all avenues of healthcare: from the patient care received, to the medical workers and leaders within the healthcare industry.

Healthcare disparities are detrimental to the communities in which we live and work. A decade ago, the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality’s National Healthcare Disparities Report 2011 showed that African American patients received less quality care than white patients for 41% of quality measures.

Several recent studies have shown discrepancies in the quality of healthcare between different racial, ethnic and socio-economic groups, and African American women are more negatively affected by lack of quality of care. For instance, Black women with breast cancer are 67 percent more likely to die from the disease than white women and some racial and ethnic minority groups are still more likely to receive lower-quality healthcare, regardless of access, insurance and income.

Current leaders in the healthcare system

According to Beckers Hospital Review, from both 2019 and 2020, these Black healthcare leaders are influencing how their healthcare establishments function and develop new policies for the future. Both established and emerging leaders are featured on this list, in alphabetical order. You can read more about these individual leaders in healthcare and their accomplishments at Beckers Hospital Review 2019 and Beckers Hospital Review 2020.

Moving healthcare forward

Diversity creates inclusion and a sense of community for medical workers, boosting employee morale and maintaining employee retention. Additionally, a diverse healthcare staff helps improve the diverse patient base they are serving. And this starts with diversity in leadership.

Healthcare requires strong minds and initiative from different backgrounds in order to be successful. As Black healthcare professionals take on positions of authority, they are shaping the framework of how the industry is run and positively impacting how to approach different initiatives in healthcare. They are paving the way and advocating for the next generation of leaders.