Janice L. Dreachslin, PhD, is associate professor of health policy and administration and professor in charge of health industry studies in the Management Division at the Pennsylvania State University's Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies in Malvern. She is author of the Health Administration press book Diversity Leadership, and co-presents the popular ACHE seminar "From Conflict to Consensus: Conflict Management for Healthcare Leaders." Recent publications also include "Race, Ethnicity, and Careers in Healthcare Management" and "Diversity Leadership and Organizational Transformation: Performance Indicators for Health Services Organizations" in the Journal of Healthcare Management and "Workforce Diversity: Implications for the Effectiveness of Health Care Delivery Teams" in Social Science and Medicine. Dr. Dreachslin and her collaborators received the 1999 ACHE Health Management Research Award for their Survey of Diversity Practices in Pennsylvania Hospitals. She chairs the Association of University Programs in Health Administration's Diversity Forum and is leading an initiative to define domains and core competencies for diversity leadership in health services management.

Click on a link below or scroll down to read the questions posted for Dr. Dreachslin as well as her responses:

• Core competencies for diversity
• Where do we start?

hall - 02:33pm Dec 21, 2001
What are the core competencies needed for diversity leadership?

Dreachslin's response - 11:28am Jan 2, 2002 (#1 of 1) Core Competencies for Diversity Leadership
Dear Colleague,

The AUPHA (Association of University Programs in Health Administration) is working on defining and assessing core competencies for diversity leadership in health services management. An article presenting this work is forthcoming in the AUPHA's Journal of Health Administration Education.

Following is a synopsis of the core competencies:

Individual Domain Competencies

1. Understand the multiple dimensions and management implications of human diversity
2. Understand the role of prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination in management decisions
3. Develop competence in intercultural communication and culture-specific knowledge for management
4. Understand the process of individual change to value diversity: awareness, understanding, action

Group Domain Competencies

1. Understand the management implications of team diversity under two alternative hypotheses: the information value of diversity and similarity attraction hypotheses

Organizational Domain Competencies

1. Understand the role of affirmative action and valuing diversity in responding to customer and workforce demographics
2. Understand the three key aspects of diversity leadership in the health care industry (the three-legged stool): public policy, clinical practice, management and organization practices
3. Understand the process of organizational change to value diversity: (discovery, assessment, exploration, transformation, revitalization)

If you'd like further information, please e-mail your address to me at jld13@psu.edu. I'd be pleased to send you the full article.

Best Wishes,
Jan Dreachslin

flores - 04:44pm Jan 18, 2002
We are a medium-sized hospital operating in a midwest community that has been predominantly white. Demographics are changing, and racial and ethnic minorities are becoming a larger segment. The demographics of our workforce do not mirror the demographics in our community. Of those minorities that are employed, most are at lower-paying jobs. Our hospital, although realizing the need to be proactive, does not even know when to begin. We are sensitive to not creating another "program". Do you have any advice? Your input is greatly appreciated.

Dreachslin's response - 01:37pm Jan 22, 2002 (#1 of 1)
Dear Colleague, You have already begun the process of diversity leadership through recognizing that service area demographics are changing in ways that will have an impact on your hospital! In my book, Diversity Leadership, I conceptualize the change process as occuring in five steps: Discovery, Assessment, Exploration, Transformation, and Revitalization. Following the change process, Assessment is my recommendation for your next step. Through assessing the culture and climate of your hospital as perceived by its many stakeholders, you can strategically plan training (exploration) and change (transformation) initiatives that will work best for you. Please refer to my book, Diversity Leadership, for more details.

I'd be glad to send you some of my articles on the change process as well. Please e-mail your request to jld13@psu.edu.

Best Wishes,
Jan Dreachslin