Welcome once more. This week, we're continuing our review of the informative DEI Action Plan webinar presented by our consultants, Dr. Johnna Yealy and Dr. Tina Buter. Last week, we started with our “why.” Now, let’s discuss the “how!”

When programs struggle with DEI Action Plans, it’s often a result of over-complicating the matter. Tackling DEI sounds like tremendous work that must be accomplished quickly while we dodge cultural minefields. It’s not! 

You’re in luck. So much work has already been done to define and promote DEI that you can incorporate the best ideas of other programs and organizations into your own and then personalize it to fit your program. 

Also, you’ll likely find that your program is already doing a lot that qualifies as DEI, and these will be areas you can cite, improve, and use as inspiration to go further. Healthcare professionals and programs have long known the importance of including underrepresented populations in training and care.

Here are some steps to get your DEI Committee off the ground.

Assign responsibility to the passionate: 

Don't let DEI become another task on the program director's endless to-do list; this is the time to reach out to passionate people. Many feel strongly about changing our cultural landscape to be more inclusive. Identify those team members who can lead this initiative. Include your staff and students, too, and reap the benefits of their unique perspectives. Most programs have a student government, which may include a DEI representative who should be involved. Include members from underrepresented populations if possible. 

Remember this bit of etiquette, however: A member of an underrepresented group may be asked to participate, but it should not be a requirement or a pressured expectation. Being the “only” or “one of the few” is not itself an open invitation to push them into DEI work. If this is handled clumsily, e.g., “You are our only woman of color, so you must be on the DEI team,” it can feel like being singled out and isolated. 

When the committee forms, it should contact your institution's DEI representative. The Office of Human Resources is also an excellent collaborator. Partnerships can lead to resources, funding, publicity, and shared opportunities. To ensure procedures are correctly followed, always invite an institutional representative to participate in committee decisions involving institutional policies.

Remember to document the committee meetings that occur with your institution. These interactions will enable you to demonstrate institutional support (Standard A1.11(a-d)).

Draft Your DEI Statement 

A DEI Statement should do the following:

1. Guide Decision-Making: The statement is a foundation for policies, goals, and initiatives, ensuring that all actions align with core DEI values.

2. Build Accountability: The statement establishes expectations for faculty, staff, and students, promoting a culture of inclusivity and shared responsibility.

3. Attract Diverse Talent: The statement communicates a strong commitment to DEI, making your program attractive to diverse applicants and stakeholders.

Your committee should craft a powerful DEI statement that aligns with your institution's values and clearly articulates your program’s commitment to DEI, setting a shared vision and purpose. The committee will then draft the DEI goals and action plans, which may be presented to the administration for approval or affirmation.

Sounds daunting? Don’t worry. You need not work from scratch. 

SAMPLE DEI STATEMENT: Drs. Butler and Yealy generated this generic statement using AI. A simple template like this might help you create a program-specific DEI statement. 

• Our Program is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and diverse environment where every community member feels respected, valued, and empowered.

• We believe diversity enriches our learning and working experiences, driving innovation, compassion, and excellence in patient care.

• We strive to create a culture that embraces differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, religion, disability, and other aspects of human identity.

• Through continuous education, outreach, and community engagement, we aim to cultivate an atmosphere where all voices are heard, and everyone is inspired to contribute meaningfully.

You can build on these simplified statements to make more specific action plans and DEI statements that center around what your program stands for. No two programs are the same, after all!

Coming soon…

The next step in creating a DEI Action Plan is aligning your DEI statement with your program-specific mission. In our next blog, we’ll explain how to take a more generic DEI statement and build it into something that can be used in various aspects of your program’s recruitment and retention strategies.