Building Diversity Initiatives in Academic Medicine

The changing landscape in the healthcare environment has presented unique challenges for Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) to transition to “value-based” health services. Shifting demographics with increased ethnic, religious, and gender diversity have made the need for enhancing programs focused on diversity essential in academic medicine. Identifying and replicating effective programs of this nature will be of vital importance as we move into the next generation of healthcare delivery. The value proposition of enhanced diversity in healthcare and academic medicine has been outlined in previous chapters. This overview will focus on initiatives that promote diversity within and associated with AMCs and their ultimate objective of addressing the needs of the present day community. In this chapter, we will explore the importance of diversity in modern healthcare, review the innovative role of pipeline programs in helping to create a diverse healthcare workforce, and discuss the vital impact diversity mentoring in AMCs can have on the development of future healthcare trainees and practitioners.