Barnes-Jewish Hospital has a vision for a better health-care system. One in which everyone has equal access to high quality health care, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. One in which opportunities to receive education in the health professions are available to all. One that is welcoming to diverse health-care professionals. And one that is sensitive to the unique cultural needs of all patients and their families.

To make this vision a reality, Barnes-Jewish Hospital has created a Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence. This Center was funded with $1.56 million from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. The Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence was established on May 5, 2006 to:

1. Promote diversity and cultural competence initiatives and programs throughout the hospital, Washington University Medical Center and the St. Louis community.
2. Collaborate with Washington University School of Medicine and other local agencies to support research and efforts to reduce health disparities.
3. Promote dialogue around issues of diversity and cultural competence.
4. Oversee activities to promote recruitment and retention of multi-cultural staff who support diversity within our organization and who will assist in our efforts to promote culturally sensitive care.
5. Oversee programs for our Limited English Proficient (LEP) patient population through our Refugee and Interpreter Services program.
6. Create an environment where our patients and staff are respected and included.
7. Change some assumptions, practices, and beliefs in an effort to promote an understanding of the world from the perspectives of others.
8. Develop programs for middle school, high school and college students to expose them to health care and science careers.

The overall goal of the Center is to reduce the health-care disparities for under-represented minorities and persons of lower socioeconomic status promoting an environment where everyone receives congruent health-care services. We’re accomplishing this by diminishing the cultural and language barriers, building a more diverse staff, educating and training staff and the community and through research.

Why is the Center Needed?
We must confront the inequities in health care related to race, class and socioeconomic status. The changing demographics of the St. Louis regional community are significant reasons to develop our workforce to be more diverse and culturally competent.

In the region:

1. Fifty-two percent (52%) of the population in the City of St. Louis is African American.
2. Twenty-four percent (24%) of the population in the region is diverse.
3. Missouri is 10th in the nation for free case refugee resettlement.
4. Eighty five percent (85%) of all new refugees sent to Missouri are initially settled in the St. Louis region.
5. St. Louis city is third in the nation for the degree of diversity of new refugee arrivals.
6. At nearly 85,000 refugees, St. Louis city is second in the nation for the density of new arrivals to native born.
7. Seventeen percent (17%) of St. Louis city families use a primary language other than English in the home. Twelve percent (12%) of St. Louis city school students are enrolled in English as Second Language (ESL) program.
8. Access to healthcare is still difficult for the underinsured.

These demographics and facts create a need for the work of the Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence. The programs developed through the Center will help to reduce health care disparities in the St. Louis region.

Benefits of Diversity
"A diverse group will outperform in creating and developing solutions when compared to homogenous groups every time." — Arnold Donald, Barnes-Jewish Hospital board member and chair of the board’s committee on diversity.

Health-care organizations that embrace all aspects of diversity will provide better care because patients will be more willing to seek treatment, communication and trust are enhanced, and outcomes are likely to be better.

In addition, by maintaining a diverse workforce, hospital employees will benefit from a healthier, more engaging workplace with solid pathways for career advancement.