Washington University School of Medicine
February 25, 2015
Thank you for coming today, your attendance and participation is important.
We have a charge to reach every faculty and staff member on the WUSM campus to
establish a baseline level of awareness of, and a common language concerning
‘Diversity and Inclusion’ (D&I).
This presentation covers content from the first, second, and third in a series of training
sessions; focused on awareness and understanding and more increasingly focused on
commitment, and action pertaining to D&I initiatives. This is an opportunity to go into
the deep water; which will require that we move out of our comfort zones.
The presentation includes experiential activities, as well as short lectures and group
interaction. Participants will increase their understanding of unconscious bias and
strategies to limit negative impact on campus climate.
Objectives: Assert SoM Mission on Diversity and Inclusion. Observe how biases can
affect one’s thoughts and actions. Understand the impact of bias and how it can define
communication. Learn about strategies to combat unconscious bias in the WUSM
environment.
Creating and sustaining a climate that IS diverse AND inclusive takes conscious effort
and honest reflection. We are making strides in the right direction. Over the past year,
more than 6,300 students, faculty and staff have participated in an initiative aimed at
improving diversity and inclusion. Yet there are more to train and a need to reinforce the
message in all we do.
In the months ahead I hope to continue this conversation with you, share new initiatives
and celebrate successes.
Our ambition is clear: to become an environment that supports diversity, inclusion,
critical thinking and creativity…and in doing so, be the best medical school in the
world and contribute to a better St Louis community.
Sincerely,
Larry J. Shapiro, M.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and Dean
“Washington University School of Medicine
will lead in advancing human health through
the best clinical care, innovative research
and the education of tomorrow’s leaders in
biomedicine in a culture that supports
diversity, inclusion,
critical thinking and creativity”
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Diversity is about understanding and contextualizing
differences – the variety of perspectives, opinions and
contributions that we each bring to the institution.
Inclusion is about leveraging diversity to create an
environment and culture that is welcoming,
collaborative and productive.
To make this work for any organization, our challenge
as leaders is to create an inclusive environment wherein
diversity is immersed into institutional operations.
Leveraging Diversity > > > > >
Highest
Performance
Average
Performance
Lowest
Performance
Diverse Teams
•
•
Not Inclusive
Not working together
Homogeneous
Teams
Diverse Teams
•
•
Inclusive
Working Together
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WUSM Office of Diversity Programs
DBBS Office of Diversity
Office of Faculty Affairs
Faculty Diversity Committee (FDC)
WUSM Diversity and Inclusion Leaders
WUSM Facilitators trained by NCCJSTL
Campus-Wide Town Hall Forum on Diversity and Inclusion
Campus Diversity Collaborative (CDC)
Barnes-Jewish and Children’s Hospital Center for Diversity and
Cultural Competence
GME Diversity Healthcare Disparities Committee
Danforth Campus Mosaic Project on Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity Engagement Survey
Race & Ethnicity: A Day of Discovery and Dialogue symposium
Based on the 2000
census…
….the U.S. workforce (generally ages
25 to 64) is in the midst of a sweeping
demographic transformation.
From 1980 to 2020, the white workingage population is projected to decline
from 82 percent to 63 percent.
During the same period, the minority
portion of the workforce is projected to
double from 18 percent to 37 percent,
and the Hispanic portion is projected to
almost triple from 6 percent to 17
percent.
Staying competitive
“…larger corporations are
embracing the demographic
changes; they see the need to
have a more diverse workforce
and the value that a diverse
workforce will bring to them in
terms of the clients and
vendors they are going to work
with…”
Karen Elzey, VP & Director of the Institute for a Competitive Workforce at
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce…
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Advancing cultural competency
“…professionals cannot become culturally competent solely by
reading textbooks and listening to lectures. They must be educated
in environments that are emblematic of the diverse society they will
be called upon to serve.”
Increasing access to high-quality health care services
Despite improvements, differences persist in health care quality
among racial and ethnic minority groups. People in low-income
families also experience poorer quality care.
NIH recognizes the importance of the case for D&I and they
are funding initiatives to support the effort.
Health Affairs: The Case For Diversity In the Health Care Workforce
 PERSPECTIVES
We all have biases and personal
experiences that become “hard-wired”
into daily functioning. Meaning we
prefer people who look like us, sound
like us and share our interests.
In the past, bias was regarded as
aberrant, conscious and intentional.
Today, we understand that often
bias is normative (learned),
unconscious (second nature) and
largely unintentional (applied without
overt malicious intent).
Age, race, eye color,
hair, other physical
descriptors
Marital status, religion,
level of education,
hobbies, hopes, fears,
Aspirations, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk
1. How does this happen?
2. What are some factors that may
have caused the audience and
judges to react they way they did?
3. How could something similar
happen in our environment?
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There is overwhelming scientific evidence that unconscious bias may
influence the evaluation and selection of candidates from entry-level to
leadership positions in all types of organizations, including medical schools
and teaching hospitals.
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AAMC benchmarks show that approximately 50 percent of all medical
school graduates are women and a growing number are minorities
underrepresented in medicine. Yet only 20 percent of full professors are
women, and even smaller numbers come from minority or ethnically
diverse backgrounds. From these groups, fewer still, become department
heads and deans.
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Nationally: The AAMC, in collaboration with Cook Ross, is currently
offering workshops on unconscious bias for health professions audiences.
 What
I Learned Growing Up
and Along the Way
IDENTITY GROUP
White/Caucasian
Black/
African American
Hispanic
Jewish Americans
Asian/Pacific
Islander
American Indian
LGBTQ
Differently Abled
Male/Female
1Positive
message heard
about this group
1Negative
message heard
about group
What has been my
lived experience?
Begins with Self reflection – how do I know what I know
Information –the psychological basis of bias
Motivation - internal (vs. external) motivation to change
Individuation – learning to see diverse others as individuals rather than as
members of groups.
Direct contact with members of other groups.
Working together on teams, as equals, in pursuit of common goals.
Context/environment – images of leaders from diverse groups helps
Make a decision – think and act through a more accepting lens
Important Concepts of Diversity and
Awareness
Inclusion
Understanding
Understand the impact
of stereotypes and biased statements, even when
casually said
Identify the most common reasons people sit silent in the face of bias and
stereotypes
Commitment
Enhance skills for speaking up against stereotypes without blame or guilt
Stereotypes: An oversimplified image orAction
statement applied to a whole
group of people, without regard for the individual.
Bias: Bias is a predisposition to see events, people or items in a positive or
negative way. Bias is an attitude or belief.
Silent Collusion: To go along with through silence.
Ally: Someone who speaks up on behalf of someone else.
Communicating Respectfully in a Diverse World
http://youtu.be/fzJCXPK.dMK
Speaking Up: Six Techniques
Assume Good Intent and Explain Impact
Ask a Question
Interrupt and Redirect
Broaden to Universal Human Behavior
Make It Individual
Say Ouch
© 2007, International Training and Development, LLC
OUCH! Discussion
Which technique(s) do you personally prefer? In what
types of situations would you use these techniques?
How can you increase your comfort, confidence and
skill in speaking up in these situations?
© 2007, International Training and Development, LLC
The bystander effect, or bystander apathy:
A social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which
individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people
are present.
The probability of help is inversely related to the number of bystanders.
In other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is
that any one of them will help.
Several variables help to explain why the bystander effect occurs. These
variables include: ambiguity, cohesiveness and diffusion of
responsibility.
Becoming an Ally: Take a moment and write down three personal goals
you will accomplish in the next 60 days that will help you become an
ally.
© 2007, International Training and Development, LLC
Take Aways
Find ways to be welcoming, inclusive, and supportive
Smile, and greet people you see that you don’t know
Be aware when people in your department may be “excluded”
from formal or informal conversations and activities – invite
them in
Spend some time in self reflection
Develop a deeper understanding of the filters through which
you view and interpret yourself and others
Identify patterns in your own ways of evaluating, assessing,
and respecting other people with whom you work
© 2007, International Training and Development, LLC
Dialogue for reflection of organizational values and norms,
Diversity & Inclusion Leaders
Contact Information
Daniel Blash, Ph.D., LPC, NCC
314-362-4991
blashd@wustl.edu
Denise M. DeCou
314-362-4994
decoud@wustl.edu
© 2007, International Training and Development, LLC