A.C.E. In Healthcare Services
Infrastructural Design for DEBI-P

One of the main issues I have found to be problematic in Health Services and the Caring of Clients and Patients when it comes to DEBI initiatives is that the standard solutions are usually designed, primarily, to protect the establishment and not the patient/client or protect the environment but not the patient/client. For example, if you review the typical five points of competency in Cultural Diversity in healthcare they are usually listed as something like:

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1. Being able to adapt to a different type of care

2. Being able to provide information to patients in clear language

3. Ability to provide specific care for specific groups

4. Ability of an organization to adapt to the needs of patients

5. Ability to mediate/negotiate with patients

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My initial thoughts are, first, a relationship of equity has to be established by taking small steps such as understanding that the patients are actually clients as well. Which leads me to my second point which is, each one of these "competencies" needs to connect with the patient or client effectively and included and framed within operational procedures. Additionally, most of the protocols for DEBIs, getting the job done, is placed on a few leaders in the organization or maybe even one individual. Leadership is indeed important but it's unfair in most settings like these to place all of the responsibility onto one person. This single person is given a lot of responsibilities:

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• The responsibility to create ways all of the patients/clients will feel included and receive optimal care 

• That they receive the best and same treatment that the next patient/human being is receiving

• With the same wonderful bedside manners

• And having patients/clients feel that they can use their voices when needed.

This is hard and complicated. The solutions should be created and discussed as a collective, including the voices of the patients/clients as well as employees.

     Another serious issue I have encountered when consulting with health service personnel is found in the foundation of the organization itself. The employees are not happy or they are overworked or they do not feel valued. It is challenging to convince employees to treat others better than, they, themselves are being treated. So, this is a common problem that needs to be  resolved.  

     While healthcare services can be a very emotional job, events such as retreats haven't worked as well as most had hoped. Words and phrases are thrown out during workshops with solutions and strategies that sound too complicated and no real strategies to get to the root of the problem and solution. As a result, audience members usually shut down, emotionally. There seems to be more attention paid to the patient/client without any consideration of the healthcare workers. In other cases, some of the solutions proposed actually come across as "medicinal" in nature when you are actually trying to solve basic human problems that have a medicinal factor but also an emotional factor to consider. A possible suggestion - keep things basic and simple in your messaging. When it comes to inclusive voicing and health equity assess, implement measures to receive feedback from patients on a consistent basis as an SOP. This can be done through very short client/patient climate surveys. These solutions have shown to be effective.

     One of the biggest problems we have in healthcare services is knowing how to serve marginalized communities and understanding members of communities that that are different from ourselves or our beliefs. Other challenges include differences in geography, lack of access to adequate health coverage, communication difficulties between patient and provider, cultural barriers, provider stereotyping, and the lack of access to providers. Recent studies have even reported that physicians wrongly assess the pain felt by Black and Brown people different from White people. Women and BIPOC are not taken seriously when they speak of their ailments or illnesses and with the transgender population growing, effective ways to address diverse patients in innovative and diverse ways of care have fallen short. When a person is ill, it is important that they not only receive proper care, there should also be special care not to make a patient/client feel bad about themselves, or dismissed or ashamed or that they are delusional. The environment and care should be welcoming and safe. Hiring members from these communities is one obvious solution, but, that process has proven to slow as well. 

    It is also important to know that Storytelling creates Community. By creating and implementing stories focused on the positive missions and achievements of your organization, and being Active on a Centralized Agreement and goal of Good, the Empowerment felt inside the CORE of your organization and its members, Transformational changes within your organization emerge as a unit. The positivity of this process is then felt in your patients and the communities you serve. 

    To provide assistance with the multiple challenges healthcare service workers face when it comes to diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion, Assessment Services provided by A.C.E. include:

A.C.E. Assessment Services Provides

• Assessment of Organization 

• Assessment of Leader Positions & Positioning

• Assessment of Leadership Styles

• Assessment of the Climate of Employee Environment

• Assessments of DEBI Initiatives in Conjunction with Results Desired

• Assessment of Responsibility & Accountability Measures

• Assessment of All Communications within a Collective, including Client/Patient

• Assessment on Issues of Power

• Assessment of Messaging