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Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

One U Thriving

Centers & Offices

Securing Health Equity

Ensuring Belonging for All

We courageously and creatively develop institutional policies, practices, and programs that eliminate health inequities and ensure all patients and clients achieve equitable health outcomes.

Timeline IconStrategies &
Action Steps Goals IconEDI Strategic
Plan Information IconEDI Strategy
Council

Strategic Goal No. 1

Fully integrate the health science campus into the fabric of the institution.

Key Strategy

Action Steps

    • Compiling public accessible compositional diversity data, membership of leadership committee, and program successes.
    • Formalize an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Leadership Committee that includes a full spectrum of health system leadership.
    • Work with each college, department, and division to (a) refine mission and vision statements to include equity, diversity, and inclusion elements; (b) complete cultural inventory; and (c) create an associated equity, diversity, and inclusion action plan.

Strategic Goal No. 2

Gain national recognition in culturally inclusive care, including Age-Friendly Health System designation.

Key Strategy

  • Convene University of Utah Health equity, diversity, and inclusion partners to outline and complete the steps.

Action Steps

    • Explain the changing population of the community.
    • Describe the demographics of the population.
    • Identify the demographic diversity of leadership, faculty, and students within the University of Utah Health.
    • Launch University of Utah Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (UHEDI) transparency page, including compositional diversity data, membership of leadership committees, and program successes
    • Learn about the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System (What Matters, Medication,
    • Mentation, and Mobility) and document steps required to gain national recognition in culturally competent care, including Age-Friendly Health System designation.
    • Create dashboards that measure the health equity gaps along demographics in the quality data for which we are held responsible.
    • Examine how cultural influences impact patient/client’s encounters and develop education efforts aligned with Culturally Competent Health Care Organization guidelines.
    • Develop survey instruments to understand the needs of specific communities.
    • Build on current assessment and action on each of the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) and identify areas for growth.
    • Submit Age-Friendly Health System care description worksheet for recognition as an Age-Friendly Health System.
    • Examine health disparity data and report findings.
    • Conduct micro-focusing surveys to determine needs for the specific communities.
    • Communicate survey findings to community members and determine priorities.
    • Develop action plans based on findings to become a Culturally Competent Health Care Organization as outlined in the American Hospital Association.

Strategic Goal No. 3

Individuals from historically marginalized groups choose University of Utah Health to launch and advance their higher education, training, and career paths and receive their care.

Key Strategies

  • Establish employee retention and growth programs that directly engage diverse staff and staff recruits.
  • Leverage MEDiversity Week and pipeline programs to bolster awareness among diverse audiences for enrollment, hiring, and care.

Action Steps

    • Construct plan to include equity, diversity, and inclusion accountability in faculty evaluations, including hiring metrics.
    • Expand the Basic Needs Center—Health Sciences Satellite physical locations and services.
    • Ensure that new equity, diversity, and inclusion leaders are hired and trained in equity, diversity, and inclusion leadership by the AAMC.
    • Administer the Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity (DICE) Inventory to all University of Utah Health equity, diversity, and inclusion leaders and multiple stakeholders at the School of Medicine.
    • Report DICE findings publically to identify equity, diversity, and inclusion priorities in the health sciences.
    • Establish an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Health Science council to inform and advance equity, diversity, and inclusion scholarship at U of U Health.
    • Deepen expertise in Spanish language media relations, including a new role focused on engaging Spanish media.
    • Help craft language for West Valley Project mission and vision statements.
    • Formalize an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Leadership Committee that includes a full spectrum of health system leadership.
    • Attract, retain, and promote to leadership a workforce where the compositional diversity mirrors national standards.
    • Advance goals for the anti-sexism commission.
    • Publish results and updates from the health sciences, MD program, anti-sexism commissions.
    • Develop action plans based on findings of DICE inventory.

Securing Health Equity