Christiana Care named Best in Class Hospital for increasing diversity and reducing disparities in care

Christiana Care named Best in Class Hospital for increasing diversity and reducing disparities in care

Christiana Care Health System has been named a Best in Class Hospital by the Institute for Diversity in Health Management, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association.

Christiana Care joins a select group of 35 hospitals out of more than 1,100 participating institutions to receive honors for increasing diversity and reducing disparities in care. Christiana Care received recognition for Cultural Competency and Engaging Communities based on results of a 2013 Institute survey “Diversity and Disparities: A Benchmark Study of U.S. Hospitals.”

According to the Institute, receiving Best in Class Hospital designation reflects Christiana Care Learning Institute’s efforts to understand the linguistic and cultural background of our community, promote cultural competency as an institutional priority and meet the needs of a diverse patient population.

“This award demonstrates Christiana Care’s commitment to fostering and encouraging respectful, caring partnerships with our patients and our colleagues,” said Rosa Colon-Kolacko, Ph.D., MBA, senior vice president and executive director, Christiana Care Learning Institute, and chief diversity officer. “It underscores our dedication to provide cultural resources and language services that enhance culturally competent patient care.”

“This award recognizes what I see every day in the commitment of our providers, managers and staff in recognizing and addressing cultural and linguistic needs in our diverse patient population.”

In addition to Cultural Competency and Engaging Communities, Best in Class hospitals represent the top-performing hospitals in the areas of diversity in leadership and governance; diversity management and strengthening the workforce; and addressing disparities and delivering quality care.

“I want to publicly congratulate all of these organizations, and thank them for their leadership, commitment and tireless efforts to promote equitable care,” said Frederick D. Hobby, president and CEO of the Institute for Diversity in Health Management in a letter to award winners.

Christiana Care has received continual national recognition for its commitment to building a respectful, caring partnership in the health of our neighbors. In October 2014 Christiana Care was named a Leader in Healthcare Equality for the third consecutive year by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization for patient and employee non-discrimination policies that specifically mention sexual orientation and gender identity, a guarantee of equal visitation for same-sex partners and parents and LGBT health education for key staff members.

The Institute for Diversity in Health Management works closely with health services organizations and educators to expand leadership opportunities for ethnic minorities in health services management. The Institute aims to increase the number of minorities in health services administration to better reflect the increasingly diverse communities they serve, and to improve opportunities for professionals already in the health care field.

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