You’ve no doubt heard that the White House recently issued an Executive Order directing federal agencies to stop any and all “Diversity Equity and Inclusion’ policies, personnel positions and activities.
You can read that Executive Order here: Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing – The White House
Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the EO doesn’t define exactly what DEI is. There’s no definition in the Executive Order. It refers to the term over and over but doesn’t define it.
So, what is DEI? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are foundational principles in public health management that ensure public health policies serve all individuals fairly and effectively.
By integrating DEI into public health strategies, leaders can create more fair health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and improve the overall health & well-being of diverse communities.
- Diversity encompasses the broad range of differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, disability status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and cultural identity within a population or workforce. A diverse public health workforce reflects the communities it serves, improving cultural competency and responsiveness, and is more likely to develop and effectively implement interventions that improve health outcomes among diverse populations.
- Equity focuses on cutting systemic barriers to healthcare access and ensuring that resources are distributed based on need rather than equality alone. Unlike equality, which assumes everyone benefits from the same resources, equity acknowledges historical and social disadvantages and looks to address them to level the playing field.
- Inclusion ensures that diverse voices are actively engaged in decision-making, creating policies and programs that are both representative and effective. An inclusive public health system values different perspectives and fosters a sense of belonging for all individuals.
The Importance of DEI in Public Health Management
Reducing Health Disparities Structural inequalities have long contributed to disparities in healthcare access and health outcomes.
For example, racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, and rural populations often have higher rates of chronic diseases, maternal mortality, and infectious disease exposure. By embedding DEI principles into public health strategies, leaders can tailor interventions that address these specific challenges and reduce disparities.
Enhancing Cultural Competency A diverse and inclusive public health workforce is better equipped to understand and address the unique needs of various communities. Culturally competent care and policies need to consider language barriers, traditional health beliefs, social contexts, and improve healthcare engagement among marginalized populations by fostering trust and credibility.
Improving Public Health Communication Effective health communication requires an understanding of diverse populations. Messaging about vaccination, disease prevention, and health promotion need to be culturally sensitive and linguistically accessible. Without DEI considerations (and diverse staff), public health campaigns are less likely to succeed.
Building Community Trust Marginalized groups have faced discrimination and mistreatment in healthcare, leading to distrust in medical institutions. By prioritizing DEI, public health leaders are better able to rebuild trust through transparent policies, fair resource allocation, and community involvement in decision-making.
Strengthening Public Health Policies Inclusive policymaking that involves diverse stakeholders leads to more effective and sustainable health interventions. Policies that consider the needs of all communities create healthier, more resilient populations and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
By prioritizing DEI, public health management can create fairer, more effective systems that improve health outcomes for all individuals, ensuring that no community is left behind.
Despite the President’s executive order (which applies to the federal government) I expect that many local and state health departments will continue to implement policies and make staffing and hiring decisions using DEI principles.
Why? Because using DEI principles to inform public health policies and staffing decisions is a best management practice.
Besides – many people in the public health profession recognize that structural racism is real – that it has real-life public health consequences and is fundamentally unfair.
Those things alone should be sufficient to sustain grass-roots DEI principles through the next 3.9 years.
DEI Literature
Understanding the Dynamics of Diversity in the Public Health Workforce – PMC
Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care – PMC & 04/PHR118-4/Betancourt/et al
Structural Interventions to Reduce and Eliminate Health Disparities – PMC
