Overview

Overview

Diversity Inc | Cleveland Clinic
DiversityInc. recognized Cleveland Clinic as one of America's top 5 hospital systems for diversity, noting its strong employee-resource groups.

What is diversity?

Diversity encompasses qualities in three categories:

  • Human (race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, gender identity or expression)
  • Cultural (language, religion, class, ethics, values)
  • Systems (organizational role and function, geographic location, organizational culture)

Why is diversity important at Cleveland Clinic?

Diversity plays a key role at Cleveland Clinic as well as all healthcare organizations because it affects interactions between employees and the patients and families served.

As a global healthcare provider and the largest employer in Northeast Ohio, diversity is an inherent aspect of interaction with patients, employees and the community.

What is the purpose of the Office of Diversity?

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion provides strategic leadership for creating an inclusive organizational culture of patients, employees, business partners and the community. Initiatives focus on workforce demographics, education, pipeline development, economic development, economic initiatives/supplier diversity and cultural competency learning.

How do we work to advance diversity at Cleveland Clinic?

Our efforts address diversity through:

  • Education: Cultural competency training enables us to better serve and relate to our increasingly diverse patient population and to each other. Our cultural competency skill development increases knowledge, improves employee-to-employee communication and impacts patient care.
  • Inclusion: Diversity councils and Employee Resource Groups work to raise awareness and support Cleveland Clinic's employees, our community partners and patients we serve. They create growth opportunities to best serve our system, employees, patients and families.
  • Representation: Recruitment and staff development efforts ensure that staff and employees at all levels represent the communities we serve and our global reach.
  • Suppliers: Organizing our business process to promote minority participation reflective of the diverse business community will enhance economic growth in the communities we serve.
Awards

Awards

How has the Office of Diversity & Inclusion been recognized?

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion at Cleveland Clinic has been recognized by various organizations for its work in promoting diversity:

Message from Leadership

Message from Leadership

A Message from Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, CEO, President and Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair

Tom Mihaljevic, MD

One of the things that impressed me most when I first visited Cleveland Clinic 14 years ago was its culture of promoting “Patients First.” Diversity and inclusion are an integral part of that mantra. We provide a welcoming and respectful environment for patients, families, and caregivers of all races, ages, genders, nationalities, religions, sexual orientations, disability, or veteran status.

Cleveland Clinic is a regional healthcare delivery system with national and global reach. Our goal is to provide every patient the best outcome and experience. We achieve this by integrating best practices of diversity, inclusion, equity and cultural competence into all that we do – from expanding access to quality healthcare services to improving policies, procedures, and hiring of caregivers to reflect the diversity of those we serve. As a result, we are better able to care for our patients and their families and support our caregivers and communities worldwide.

Our Office of Diversity and Inclusion provides strategic leadership by establishing and facilitating enterprise-wide programs and initiatives that align with and enhance our mission in the community and promote equitable care.

Cleveland Clinic will continue to strengthen its commitment to diversity and inclusion for years to come.

Sincerely,

Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD
CEO, President, and Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair of Cleveland Clinic

A Message from Jacqui Robertson, Chief of Diversity & Inclusion

Jacqui Robertson

Our office is responsible for creating Cleveland Clinic's diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. We regard our 72,500 caregivers as stewards of diversity. Given the continued growth of Cleveland Clinic – and our priorities of caring for patients, caregivers, the communities in which we serve, and our organization – we must lead in creating a forward-looking approach to develop innovative ideas that will drive transformational change to further advance equity, inclusion, diversity, and community engagement.

We are a global healthcare leader that builds cultural competency and targeted initiatives in education, pathway development and supplier diversity to better align with an evolving workforce. We openly engage with diverse groups and seek multicultural experiences with stakeholders to reflect the patients and communities we serve. Through our governing bodies, including our diversity councils, employee resource groups, Operations Council, Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, and other networks across the health system, Cleveland Clinic proudly honors diversity in all its forms. We recognize that inclusion is at the heart of business and culture.

By embracing, respecting, and leveraging our differences and similarities in race, gender, age, class, ability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, family life, and diverse ideologies, we better understand the human dimensions required to create a high performing culture, enhance the well-being of our caregivers, and continue to put patients first.

Sincerely,

Jacqui Robertson
Chief of Diversity & Inclusion

Related Content

Diversity Events

Diversity Events

The Color of Care documentary screening Nov. 14 or Dec. 15

Racial inequities in healthcare have an impact on our patients and communities near and far.

A new documentary, The Color of Care, produced by the Smithsonian Channel and Oprah Winfrey’s HARPO Productions, takes a personal look at racial inequities in America’s healthcare system and exposes the deep-seated racial disparities in healthcare that led to tragic consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the trailer.

Our Office of Diversity & Inclusion, in partnership with Case Western Reserve University’s Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative, is offering caregivers and members of the community two opportunities to view the documentary followed by a panel discussion about health equity in our community.

Screening options

Caregivers and community members can choose either of these days to watch the documentary and participate in the panel discussion:

Monday, November 14
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 15
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

How to watch – choose from three ways:

  1. Register and attend the live event at the Health Education Campus (HEC), Cleveland Clinic main campus.
  2. Register to watch from one of these locations, where the screening and panel discussion will be live-streamed:
    • Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital
    • Cleveland Clinic Akron General
    • Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital
    • Cleveland Clinic Stephanie Tubbs Jones Family Health Center
  3. Register to watch from your home computer. Participants will receive a viewing link after registration.

To register, fill out this form.

Celebrate Sisterhood

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion supports Celebrate Sisterhood, a Cleveland Clinic Ob/Gyn & Women's Health Institute program dedicated to educating, energizing and empowering women of color to embrace self-care. Visit Celebrate Sisterhood for additional information. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration

Ecumenical Prayer Service and Community Breakfast event co-sponsored event between the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the Office Government & Community Relations.

Minority Men's Health Fair

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion participates at the Minority Men's Health Fair, which offers free preventative health screenings and physician advisements to address special health concerns of minority male populations. Visit the Minority Men's Health Center at Cleveland Clinic's Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute for more information. 

Tu Familia, Su Salud; Your Family, Their Health: Dialogues

These health dialogues are sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Cleveland Clinic SALUD Hispanic/Latino Employee Resource Group in an effort to impact health engagement with our community with health topics of interest in the Hispanic community.

Contact

Contact

Call the Office of Diversity Inclusion at 216.445.7323

We're here to answer your questions.

Fax: 216.444.3469

Le Joyce Naylor
Executive Director, Office of Diversity of inclusion

  • Michelle Del Toro
  • Altia Douglas
  • Diana Gueits
  • Leslie Hardy
  • Andre Lessears
  • Donna Skurzak

Send Mail to the Office of Diversity Inclusion

Cleveland Clinic
Office of Diversity Inclusion
9500 Euclid Avenue, UA20
Cleveland, Ohio 44195

Contact the Office of Diversity Inclusion

We want to hear from you.

Visit the Office of Diversity Inclusion

The Office of Diversity Inclusion is located in the UA Building, the turn-of-the-century Foundation House.