Certificate in Diversity Management (CDM): Coursework & Curriculum
Coursework
The coursework for the CDM is designed to meet the needs and schedules of working professionals. The curriculum was developed by the American Leadership Council for Diversity in Healthcare (ALCDH), a subsidiary of the Institute for Diversity in Health Management. While some diversity certificate programs concentrate on diversity theory, the CDM content and learning experiences included in this blended program are focused on the practice of diversity management in today's health care organizations. We use action-based research and knowledge and teach practical applications from the field. During the 12-month program, students will complete a brief orientation; attend two on-site residencies; and complete nine courses.
The final capstone project for the course is the "Diversity/Disparities Action Plan." This is a strategic, action-oriented roadmap for the change needed to address health care disparities and diversity issues in each student's institution and community. This plan uses applied learning and serves as the major integrating activity for the program and the content of each module. This is a deliverable of great value for the students’ health care organization.
Program Curriculum
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2. Strategic Development and Implementation
3. Legal/Regulatory and Ethical Issues
4. Community Assessment, Data Analysis and Strategic Planning
5. Diversity and Talent Management
6. Cultural Competency and Health Care Disparities: Safety, Quality and Equity
7. Language Services and Quality
9. Diversity Marketing and Communications
Program Curriculum Descriptions
- Understand the political, economic and mission-based drivers of the modern American health care system and its uniqueness compared to other developed nations. Recognize key distinctions between for-profit hospitals and not-for-profit hospitals, as well as the role of community benefit
- Recognize the causes and effects of health disparities and health care disparities on a system level and an individual level
- Comprehend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and its implications on health equity, cultural competence and vulnerable populations
- Define and recognize the difference between fee-for-service care delivery models and accountable care delivery models and fully understand how a diversity initiative can intersect with an Accountable Care Organization
2. Strategic Development and Implementation
- This module will aid in acquiring the baseline knowledge and tools to convert a strategic plan into operations. By using key project management tools and developing a comprehensive project plan for the Diversity Action Plan, this module includes content that will effectively utilize all aspects of the certification program to build or enhance the individual's organization's plan.
3. Legal/Regulatory and Ethical Issues
- Learn federal, state and local laws that have contributed to oppression and disparate health care service
- Recognize other laws, regulatory and legal requirements that affect the implementation and development of diversity and cultural competence initiatives in the health care setting
- Know the differences between affirmative action, compliance programming and diversity initiatives
- Understand how The Joint Commission will regulate the ability of health care providers and health care organizations to understand and respond effectively to the cultural and language needs specific to individual patients
- Comprehend new reimbursement guidelines from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
4. Community Assessment, Data Analysis and Strategic Planning
- Demographics and Community Orientation is a course in community benefit and community health needs assessment.
- The course is designed to provide an understanding of the importance of appropriate data collection and analysis in order to align the organization’s priorities with the needs and values of the community, including its cultural and ethnocentric values, through conducting and then utilizing the findings of a community health needs assessment to contribute to an organization’s strategic plan.
- Participants will learn the requirements, components, analysis and application of a community health needs assessment. This course will provide an understanding of the importance of data analysis and how evaluating community data significantly impacts the value and strategic direction of your diversity and community benefit programs.
- This course will help the participants develop an organizational response to a community health needs assessment (CHNA) that meets the regulatory and accrediting body requirements and defines organizational goals, tactics, outcomes, and measures of success, informs and contributes to the organization’s strategic plan, as well as identifies the role of the diversity practitioner in both contributing to the organization’s strategic plan and addressing health and health care disparities.
5. Diversity and Talent Management
- This is an introduction to the practice of talent management. Develop and implement strategies to embed diversity and talent management into the strategic planning of the organization
- Examine and analyze traditional and non-traditional sourcing and recruiting methods to maximize diversity recruiting strategies
- Discuss and analyze strategies for retention, development, and career progression, succession for diverse employees
6. Cultural Competency and Health Care Disparities: Safety, Quality and Equity
- The purpose of this module is to examine the Enhanced Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards, including cultural competency and health care disparities and their impact on safety, quality and equity in patient care. The CLAS Standards were promulgated in 2001 by the Office of Minority Affairs of the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that health care organizations were meeting the cultural and linguistic needs of patients and to eliminate health care disparities and improve health care for all Americans.
- This module will explore each of the standards and propose strategies that health care organizations can implement to be compliant with each standard, eliminate disparities and increase culturally appropriate care.
- Deploying the Enhanced CLAS standards throughout the organization can assist in meeting The Joint Commission guidelines.
- Faculty will discuss their involvement in organizational and national projects to increase cultural competency and eliminate disparities at their health care organization.
7. Language Services and Quality
- Since the implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 our nation has been in pursuit of equitable care for all citizens and residents. However, the 2002 Institute of Medicine (IOM) landmark study, "Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care," yielded documented proof that access has not also resulted in equity. IOM research demonstrated significant variation in the rates of medical procedures by race, even when insurance status, income, age, and severity of conditions were comparable. According to this research, US racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive even routine medical procedures and experience a lower quality of health services.
- This module is designed to provide the participant with tools to initiate or enhance the provision of comprehensive culturally and linguistically appropriate language services within a hospital or health system.
- The purpose of this module is to examine the impact of supplier diversity on the health care industry, particularly supply chain and its influence on costs, logistics, operations and economic development of communities served by health care providers. This module will explore six dimensions of healthcare supplier diversity. These dimensions include the evolution of supplier diversity, paradigm shift from entitlement to growth enabler, business proposition, the business operations, healthcare and supply chain drivers and strategies. It also will examine strategies and tools health care providers can utilize to gain the advantages of a supplier diversity program.
- Implementation of a supplier diversity program compliments several key objectives of many health care providers, to include cost reductions and diversity and inclusion. The impact of a successful supplier diversity program is measurable and justifiable. Tools, such as, standards of measurement will be explored as useful justification techniques.
- Faculty will discuss examples and “Best Practices” deployed by health care organizations across the country. Students will share their pre-work and engage in discussion regarding their organization’s efforts or willingness. Practical steps and strategies for beginners, intermediate and more sophisticated supplier diversity programs will be discussed within this context.
9. Diversity Marketing and Communications
- The purpose of this module is to assistant participants in understanding their personal communications and thinking styles. They will learn how to conduct a stakeholder management analysis to better understand audience needs to enable the development of a successful and effective communication and marketing plan to influence and persuades effective at all levels of the organization.
- Participants learn how to create clear and consistent messages, make the best use of communication vehicles, develop products tailored to users' needs and present complex information simply and consistently.
- To initiate a successful and effective communications strategy, you must start with assessing your communication style, understanding your stakeholder needs and assess your current organizational and diversity goals. Examine what your organization stands for - its mission, values and beliefs. Look closely at who your organization is serving. This module will help narrow and sharpen the focus for your communication and marketing initiatives.
- Faculty will discuss their involvement in developing their business case documentation, organizations communications plans, their experience with internal communication (senior leadership, middle management, board of directors and all associates). They will give you marketing products examples and tips on how they determined their approach in developing an external/internal communications and marketing plan.
For more information, please contact us (312) 422-2690 or ifd-cdm@aha.org.