Editor’s note:
Every day, dedicated faculty, students, staff and alumni of the College of Public Health are impacting the well-being of communities locally, nationally and around the world. Our Buckeyes are passionate leaders and advocates committed to ensuring all people have the opportunity to thrive. With this issue of our digital magazine, we are thrilled to launch a new story series called “Buckeyes in Action.” These stories showcase the multitude of ways our community is driving public health forward in tangible, immediate ways.
In summer 2020, after George Floyd’s murder and amid the height of the pandemic, many large, complex organizations hired leaders to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion and navigate equity and social justice challenges that were galvanizing many Americans. In hospitals and health care organizations, leaders were often coming in aiming to see where they could do two things: improve the organization internally, and find ways to overcome health inequities, improving patient care.
Tory Hogan, associate professor in the Division of Health Services Management and Policy, launched a research project that year to understand the experiences of executive leaders in these roles and outline best practices. With two papers published and others on the way, this research is only getting started, she said.
Hogan and her team conducted interviews with 30 top-level diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) health care leaders. Their initial paper identified the critical need for CEO and organizational support in workplace improvement and addressing health inequities. Hogan said she was struck by the dedication and passion these individuals bring to their roles, their ability to pivot quickly and creatively, and their strong people skills.
“These leaders are hungry for evidence. They value and they know the importance of science, and they want to guide by evidence,” Hogan said. “By supporting them you support more equitable organizations, more equitable health care, and better access and outcomes.”
Hogan said she sees that same passion reflected in students at the College of Public Health. As these roles have become more popular, students have been expressing an increasing interest in this field as a potential career path. This research, she said, sheds light on the types of skills they’ll need to succeed.
Brian O’Rourke, a PhD student in Health Services Management and Policy, got involved with the project in 2022 to strengthen his skills in qualitative, interview-based research. He had the opportunity to conduct and analyze interviews and draft the initial paper.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies are uniquely difficult to implement, O’Rourke said, because they require overarching change and address social factors that are heavily ingrained in society.
“As a developing researcher it was such a good experience for me,” he said. “I found it really cool just to hear about the experiences of people who were brought in to execute these important initiatives and the barriers they are facing because these institutions tend to be, generally, resistant to change.”
O’Rourke is eager is dive more into what the study participants had to say about barriers that DEIB leaders experience in health care and what sets them up for success.
Eddie Weeks ’23 MHA, now a consultant at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, analyzed interview data for the study. He said he was drawn to the opportunity to learn more about this essential work and its impact on communities.
“DEIB work in health care is important and it needs to be a focus that has dedicated resources to it. If anything, this paper helps paint the picture that DEI leaders need support, they need buy-in from their organization. To implement any type of DEI work it takes a lot of resources and time.”
As some executive leaders focus their attention and efforts elsewhere, Hogan said “we are in an ever-changing dynamic environment where stakeholders will continue to ask if this work matters. This work highlights the urgent need for evidence that sheds lights on the significant impact and success in these roles.”
“There’s a voice that says it doesn’t (matter) and that we shouldn’t be spending our time on it,” Hogan said. “When it’s not documented it’s a lot easier to just erase it.”
