The Leader’s Role: Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Opportunities in Palliative Care Programs

Events of the past year, including the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic communities, placed an overdue spotlight on issues of racial inequity. This prompted health care institutions to examine both their internal approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and disparities in health care access and quality for patients. As a result, many palliative care leaders acknowledged their programs fell short and began to tackle the challenge of advancing equity initiatives in the design of their palliative care services. What have they learned?

In this webinar, panelists explored short- and long-term strategies to grapple with the impact of historical and ongoing systemic racism in the U.S. workplace, and in health care specifically. They heard a case study of one organization’s sometimes-painful efforts to think, talk, and act in new, meaningful ways around DEI, and discussed their own organizations’ efforts to address their shortcomings. The panelists provided practical ways palliative care leaders can start advancing DEI practices in hiring and retention, team culture and composition, and clinical care delivery.