Lancaster General strives to find ways to improve both safety and service for our patients. To accomplish this requires more than just an understanding of a patient’s health.

 

It requires an understanding and respect of a patient’s cultural identity as well.

 

With that in mind, Lancaster General has developed a long-range Diversity and Inclusion Initiative to improve patient care. Our goal is be recognized in the community as a leader in diversity.

 

“What we are doing grows out of our core values as a healthcare provider,” says Thomas E. Beeman, President and CEO at Lancaster General. “People feel more confident in the care they receive when their individual perspectives are valued and respected.”

 

A committee assessed our current diversity and explored what other heathcare providers are doing. The three main areas of focus in the Lancaster General Diversity and Inclusion Initiative are:

 

 

Patients seek care from providers they both understand and trust.

 

“To provide safe and complete service, we need to fully understand a patient’s generational and gender issues, cultural background, and other perspectives,” Beeman says. That ranges from providing interpreter services so patients can fully communicate their needs, to dietary customs and restrictions.

 

Lancaster General providers strive to deliver care in a culturally sensitive manner and share information in a way that the patient clearly understands.

 

 

To serve our patients and familes with respect and dignity, Lancaster General must attract, develop, promote and retain a diverse workforce that’s sensitive to the needs of a diverse customer and
community base. “Lancaster City is 34% Hispanic, and is the fastest growing population in the community,” says Ned Albee, Senior Vice President & Chief Leadership Officer at Lancaster General.

Lancaster General College works with local schools, including the City of Lancaster School District, to encourage all students to consider furthering their education in the healthcare field.

 

“We put the information in the students’ hands and let them know what is available to them,” he says. The goal is to attract a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve.

 

Employees will be educated on aspects of diversity and inclusion when working with other employees and with people in the community.

 

“If someone doesn’t speak up because they don’t think what they have to say is valuable, then you risk losing out on different ideas and perspectives,” Ned says. “Teamwork is much more effective when everyone on the team feels valued and included.”

 

 

Lancaster General is committed to helping strengthen the local economy by supporting minority businesses in the community. Lancaster General strives to conduct business with local companies that share our core values on diversity and utilize minority-operated subcontractors and other vendors.

 

“Economic inclusion and diversity strengthens the business health of the communities we serve and provides expanded resources for workforce development,” Beeman says.

 

A commitment to diversity Lancaster General is hiring a vice president for diversity and inclusion, who will oversee these issues and the implementation of a three-year strategic plan to analyze and improve current practices, policies and procedures. “Our new vice president will be the architect of where this program goes,” Beeman says.

 

“The goal is not to focus on differences, but rather to focus on similarities and to understand individual needs,” he adds. “The emphasis is on inclusion, to value everybody’s perspective.

 

“It’s the right thing to do, and the right time to do it,” Beeman says.

• Community Commitment
• Annual Community Benefit Report