Diversity in healthcare matters because it creates a stronger work environment and better care for all. A diverse workforce and customer population leads to greater understanding, cooperation, and acceptance between groups. To reap the benefits of diversity, cultural sensitivity is important. Healthcare workers should manage their words, actions, and body language to avoid offending others from different cultures. They should also communicate in a way that diverse patients can understand and feel welcome. Overall, embracing diversity creates a fair and professional environment where all patients feel accepted and comfortable.

1. Diversity in the Work Place – Health Care.
Dear colleagues, management and administration, permit me this space to air my view on the subject of
diversity in healthcare. Does diversity in the work place really matter? A number of articles and other
private minds have tried to address this issue in different ways in their views to no consensus. As a
member of the healthcare team, the question here is “what does diversity really mean to us all as care
providers”? America is a melting pot population wise but is it really a “diversity pot”? We can try to
approach this question in different ways depending on how you see it or look at it and understanding
that what makes us different makes us stronger and unites us as Americans.
The role of ethnic diversity in providing care cannot be overemphasized to realize its positive
importance. We can look at diversity as a collection of differences and or similarities and varieties that
we (the people) bring when we all come together (to work). It is what I may refer to or describe as the
“social or cultural fusion” which we bring to work when we mix together. Therefore, diversity creates a
strong work place culture and we have to be aware of it individually and realize the values in our co-
workers, patients and visitors when it comes to healthcare. This creates awareness, understanding,
builds cooperation, strong working relationships, and acceptance of others which is positive for the
whole healthcare organization.
Thus, we appreciate our diverse population of customers and workforce, hence creating a stronger
healing environment for all including our customers. But because we are different in some ways, we
react differently to different things or something. So what this means is that we have to be careful of
what we do or say and think of how it may affect others or how they may see or react to it. That is to say
our doing - Whether is by words, gestures, movements or body language, etc. As an active healthcare
team member, I can say you have to manage your mind first in terms of what you do or say before doing
or saying it to others – whether is the customer, visitor, co-worker or patient. Think of how that will
affect your colleagues or others. This is “cultural sensitivity” that counts.
Therefore, using and applying the principles of cultural sensitivity, means “care without bias or
discrimination” based on culture, belief system, religion, language, disability, gender, sexual orientation,
the right to receive health information in the language “they” prefer and understand, etc. So be nice,
communicate openly and create a welcoming attitude and environment for our customers as to be
culturally sensitive. Above all, we just have to ensure our patients feel acceptable, comfortable and for
us to be fair, honest and professional to all in all that we do for the benefit of the diversity among us all.
Thank you all for all that you do every day. Good luck to all of you my friends and colleagues out there.