Overview
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.
Contact the Office of Diversity Inclusion
We want to hear from you. Contact us at diversity@ccf.org
Message from Leadership
A Message from Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, CEO, President and Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair
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 with 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 the 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