Corporate News and Events

Trinity Health CEO Outlines Diversity and Inclusion Strategy at the
American College of Healthcare Executives Congress on Healthcare Leadership

NEW ORLEANS - March 21, 2007 - The message from Trinity Health President and CEO Joseph Swedish concerning diversity and inclusion in health care nationwide is clear: “I believe that a strong and unified commitment from all sectors of health care is essential to rebalance the workforce and extend culturally competent care that improves patient safety and outcomes.”

Swedish presented this overarching message as a catalyst in outlining Trinity Health’s three-year, seven-point diversity strategy at a breakfast sponsored by the Institute for Diversity in Health Management, part of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) 2007 Congress on Healthcare Leadership. The strategy will advance Trinity Health’s vision to develop a culturally competent workforce of more than 45,100 employees across a nationwide network of 46 hospitals, numerous outpatient and long-term care facilities, and home health and hospice programs.

As an employer of choice in its communities, a core reason for developing and executing a diversity and inclusion strategy is to create workplaces that nurture the human spirit and respect diversity. “In all of our actions and decisions, we strive to recognize and respect the sacredness of life, the dignity of all persons, and the needs of the whole person – body, mind and spirit,” Swedish said.

A culturally competent organization is better equipped to address and eradicate the divergence in health care experienced by minorities. Swedish cited statistics noting that out of the 47 million people who are uninsured, about one-third are Hispanics and Native Americans, compared with 13 percent of whites, and that uninsured rates among African-Americans – 21% – and Asian Americans – 19% - also are much higher than that of whites.

“Clearly there is a disconnect between how we claim to serve, and our nation’s reality,” he said.

If left unaddressed, health care disparities may even get worse, considering the Census Bureau predicts the total minority population will increase from 31% of the total population today to 43% of the total population by the year 2030.

“As we become a more ethnically and racially diverse nation, health care must respond to patients’ cultural heritage, varied perspectives, values, beliefs and behaviors about health and well-being,” said Swedish. “In order for our health care organizations to serve an increasingly multi-cultural environment, leaders must recognize the urgency of our situation and be proactive in our efforts to reflect the fabric of our communities.”

Trinity Health’s diversity and inclusion strategy is designed to help close this gap by implementing the following seven steps:

1. Commitment and accountability - Hold leaders accountable for creating an environment within their roles of responsibility that supports diversity and inclusion by making it a part of their annual evaluations.
2. Training and education - Educate associates, physicians and board members across Trinity Health on the “why, what and how” of diversity and inclusion.
3. Recruitment - Create recruitment strategies that support Trinity Health’s ability to hire key talent throughout the organization. Provide clear metrics that measure and track the success of Trinity Health’s diversity efforts.
4. Communication - Ensure that diversity and inclusion are incorporated into internal and external communication materials that represent Trinity Health.
5. Retention and development - Create development/career plans for top talent across the organization. Identify leadership development opportunities for associates to learn and grow.
6. Community partner - Ensure that community organizations representative of diverse groups are partners regarding outreach and delivery of culturally competent care.
7. Supplier diversity - Enhance economic development and further Trinity Health’s community partner philosophy and procurement practices, including support for minority and women-owned businesses.

Swedish emphasized the importance of genuinely embracing the creation of a diverse and inclusive culture, linking it directly to increased quality of care.

“You can’t make up respect; you can’t pretend. You have to be authentic. It takes that spirit. By acting with sincerity and a genuine concern for doing the right thing, you’ll begin to see a transformation in your organization’s culture, which will translate into better core clinical quality performance and higher customer satisfaction.”

Further demonstrating an enterprise-wide priority, Trinity Health recently appointed VeLois Bowers to the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. Bowers is leading the development and implementation of Trinity Health’s diversity strategy, which includes developing tools, resources and techniques for monitoring and evaluating the strategy’s overall effectiveness.

About Trinity Health
With hospitals in eight states, Trinity Health is the fourth-largest Catholic health care system in the nation based on total revenue. Headquartered in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health owns or manages 46 hospitals, 379 outpatient facilities, numerous long-term care facilities, and home health offices and hospice programs. Employing approximately 45,100 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $6.1 billion in revenues and $307 million in community benefit ministry in fiscal year 2006. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org.

About the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
ACHE is an international professional society of more than 30,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE is known for its prestigious credentialing and educational programs and its annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,000 participants each year.