Diversity in Health Care

The face of South Carolina is changing, and hospitals are on the front line of that change. We must be ready to care for people who speak different languages and hold different cultural values. To do that, we must do a better job of collecting race and ethnicity data, and our workforce, including its leaders, must include people of all backgrounds.

Demographics are changing nationally to such an extent that effective January 1, 2011, Joint Commission surveyors began evaluating compliance with new to advance the provision of culturally competent patient-centered care. Recognizing this changing environment, the South Carolina Hospital Association created a new personal membership group, the SC Society of Healthcare Diversity Professionals (SHDP), in 2010 to promote the roles and functions of diversity professionals who work for South Carolina health care providers.

Read more about diversity at the Diversity Connection and the Disparities Solution Center.