When the board of trustees incorporated diversity and inclusion into its strategic objectives in 2004, it also implemented a requirement for every department in the hospital to include diversity as an objective in their business plans. Annual reviews measure how well department heads are meeting their goals.

As part of the leadership buy-in, University Hospitals CEO Thomas F. Zenty III pledged to develop diverse administrative leaders and community partnerships.Dr. Fred Rothstein, Executive VP, University Hospitals and President, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, committed to develop minority faculty and other health professionals.

Other efforts to make diversity and inclusion a part of the UH culture include recruiting and retaining minorities, and increasing business with minority and female-owned businesses in the greater Cleveland area.

UH formed the Cultural Diversity Committee of the Board to ensure the hospital maintains high standards for promoting progressive diversity throughout the entire campus. As one of the chief responsibilities, the committee is empowered with the duties of developing and implementing strategies for minority recruitment and retention, while furthering a welcoming, positive, safe, and nourishing environment for the minority population of University Hospitals.

A charter was adopted in 2005 for the creation of the Diversity Council to ensure that diversity and inclusion are an integral part of our culture. A few of the Council's goals include providing excellent service to the diverse patient population, promoting excellent working relationships among employees and an environment of care that respects diversity, and seeking to make diversity a part of everyone's responsibility.

UH spent six months refining its definition of diversity and inclusion and settled on defining diversity as "an environment wherein differences are valued and integrated into all aspects of each entity within University Hospitals." Inclusion is defined as "to take into; make part of the whole, to leverage the power of differences and similarities to achieve the goals of University Hospitals."

UH board member Margot James Copeland has had positive experiences in identifying and developing relationships with top flight minority candidates. Copeland grew up in a predominately black neighborhood in a small college town in Virginia, where most parents were college educated and held professional positions.

"In the community that I grew up in, most of the moms were educators and the dads were in professions such as law, medicine, dentistry and officers in the military. For example, the head of Virginia State University's Department of Chemistry was my next door neighbor, and my godfather was CFO for the College. My experience is not unique. There are communities like this throughout the country."

Copeland, a KeyCorp executive, is nationally recognized for her work in diversity. She oversees the Key Foundation's $1.5 million grant to UH for establishment of the Henry L. Meyer III Key Bank Fellows to Faculty & Administrative Leadership Development.

"The program is important because it speaks to leadership. People can find 400 reasons not to do something. You've got to get to that one reason why you should," Copeland said. "We're not talking about anybody who is underqualified for a role. There is talent out there, and talent is inclusive."

"Reasons can be found for not advancing diversity and inclusion, but leading organizations develop the reasons and will to make it a part of their business model."

Talented individuals come in all varieties and we must recognize that this work, when done correctly, does not mean placing unqualified individuals in key roles. Rather, it is about recognizing top talent that is inclusive and representative of the constituency we serve, Copeland said.