With 143 years’ worth of experience in healing the community and nurturing Northeast Ohio, there’s no shortage of ways to gauge the success of University Hospitals.

It’s a great problem to have. Our institution has so many points of pride – from the noteworthy advances in clinical care and research, to the number of world-class physicians within our facilities, to the amount of awards and recognition we’ve received – that it can be difficult to concentrate on just one. It’s no wonder that University Hospitals continues to be ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the finest health care institutions in the nation.

Several years ago, we realized that University Hospitals could not adequately treat and serve the surrounding community unless we had initiatives and employees that were reflective of the region’s diverse population. Northeast Ohio is a place where a myriad of colors, cultures and experiences mingle to form a vast melting pot (not to mention a great place to live). Likewise, we recognized that a spirit of inclusion was crucial to our patient care and our research. Our Board of Trustees, led by the Cultural Diversity Committee of the board (chaired by Margot Copeland of KeyBank), understood that a coalition of caring staff was required to integrate diversity into every aspect of our organization, so that all patients and staff members – regardless of their background – would feel at home.

Enter the Diversity Council, chaired by Edgar B. Jackson Jr., MD, a prominent physician who retired after 40 years of treating and inspiring the community’s minority residents.

With Dr. Jackson at the helm, the 10-member council’s goals include ensuring a multicultural group of administrative leaders; recruiting and retaining a talented pool of minority faculty and other health care professionals; and building partnerships with the minority and female-owned businesses in greater Cleveland. This report captures some of the impressive strides made by the council and offers a look at the quantifiable ways in which University Hospitals commitment to inclusion positively impacts Northeast Ohio.

Of course, we have a long way to go. The underrepresentation of minorities in health care is real, and studies show that people are more apt to seek treatment from medical professionals who share similar physical features and cultural backgrounds.

With a serious approach to expanding on the progress already made, University Hospitals is devoted to making a difference.

Monte Ahuja (left), Chair, Board of Directors;
Thomas F. Zenty III, Chief Executive Officer, UH