Diversity and Inclusion defined at Monmouth Medical Center

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Why Diversity and Inclusion?

We recognize that Our Staff, Leadership, Physicians and Board need to represent and reflect the communities that we serve. This will allow Monmouth Medical Center to provide and deliver better, more appropriate health care services and programs to those who need it.

Key Definitions:

Diversity is about bringing together all backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. Every person—whether an employee, a physician, a supplier or a patient—has a unique perspective and can provide potential ideas, solutions and strategies that can help advance the overall health of the people of New Jersey.

Equity is the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of certain groups through institutions or systems.

Inclusion is about creating a sense of belonging, by consciously inviting, welcoming, respecting and engaging each other without bias. By intentionally embracing an expansive set of attitudes, attributes, cultures and skills throughout our health care system, we are creating a culture where everyone is valued and treated with respect and dignity. Inclusion is an important part of how we harness the power of diversity.

Cultural Humility is being aware of our deficient knowledge having a humble and respectful attitude toward individuals and other cultures. It is the idea of adopting a growth mindset to continuously learn from others as we treat others how they want to be treated.

Unconscious Biases also known as Implicit Biases, are the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. Everyone possesses those biases.

Health Equity is to remove barriers deterring one to reach their full health potential. At RWJBarnabas Health, we continue to take a comprehensive and strategic approach to address health disparities in our communities. As one of the largest employers and a major economic engine in communities across the state, we believe it is our responsibility to play a major role in improving health outcomes for underserved communities across New Jersey. Our goal is to improve the health of the communities that we serve, improve the experience of our patients while reducing cost per capita.

Cultivating Cultural Competency:
Our goal is to create an environment free of harm, focused on quality care resulting in equitable outcomes in a mutually respectful and courteous manner for all.

Workforce Optimization in Action:
We will achieve this goal in collaboration with our Board of Trustees, Hospital Leadership, Physicians and Staff. Building a culture of mutual respect for everyone is a strategic pillar intersecting with our high reliability organization (HRO) journey. We are committed to ensuring all colleagues, patients, patient family members and business associate interactions result in positive, harmless, helpful, inclusive and respectful experiences. Our ability to become a culturally competent health care provider depends on our success in fostering this cultural shift.

Operationalizing Diversity and Inclusion (D&I): Employee Engagement

Employee engagement began with cultural awareness. In May 2017, Monmouth Medical Center hired its first Diversity and Inclusion Director. We began to offer Cultural Competency Training to staff during New Hire Orientation, Staff Meetings, Shared Governance, and other employee venues. A formal D&I committee was followed and became instrumental in our overall expansion and impact throughout the hospital. With the success of the many employee engagement activities through this office, the D&I committee was expanded to support cultural events that covered a vast number of other programs including Black History Month, LGBTQ education and panels, major support of the Annual Pride Parade and Garden State Equality events, Hispanic Heritage Month, Cancer Support Walks, Community Health programs and many other annual Health Care Recognitions. Employee Engagement has also produced the forming of our Multi-Cultural and Upward Bound Business Resource Groups.

Health Care Equality Index Leader In August of 2017, RWJBH began cultural awareness training with computer-based learning about Transgender Health Care. This was an initial system wide educational requirement that continues for new hires today. Additionally, we have LGBTQ Pride Banners on display; we offer Gender Neutral Restrooms, and an appropriate Patient Registration process to capture the health care specific information needed to treat our patients in the safest, most comprehensive, considerate and preferred manner. In an attempt to reduce the specific gaps in accessing appropriate care to the LGBTQ+ population, an LGBTQ Employee committee was created. Along with various other initiatives, the committee connected with community resources such as PFLAG, PROUD Transitions, Q Spot, Project Real, and others to ensure they could make referrals and offer immediate support. This committee has been meeting since May of 2017 following the guidelines for patient-centered care for LGBTQ Americans found in the HEI Resource Guide and The Joint Commission Field Guide. In addition to the required training received by staff during Orientation, the Cultural Competency training offered to all staff by the Department of Diversity and Inclusion also covers, respect and confidentiality clauses for treating the LGBTQ patients at MMC.