Children's Hospital Association: Five Tips for Creating a DEI Program

Children’s hospitals across the country are working to implement efforts to make their organizations more diverse, equitable and inclusive. Some organizations have leaders on staff dedicated to guiding them through this work.

Hanna Song, Ph.D, of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and Michelle Wimes, J.D., of Children’s Mercy Kansas City shared what they’ve learned in their time as chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officers in a webinar hosted by Children’s Hospital Association.

Here are a few actionable tips from the webinar your organization can start using today.

1. Begin by listening

Wimes connects with people at every level of the organization—from physicians to gift shop clerks, from board members to volunteers. “Always start with a listening tour,” she says. “I've been chief diversity officer at three different institutions, and I've done it at every one of them.”

When Song began her role at CHLA, she interviewed more than 90 people across the organization, discovering their perspectives on DEI and their ambitions for it. Through this process, she identified common themes and discovered which areas could be easily addressed and which needed deeper structural change.

Learn the rest of their tips via the Children's Hospital Association

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Children's Mercy