Programs & Services

Programs & Services

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion staff is available for consultation in diversity-related matters and particularly to support leadership development for women and minorities.

We offer a variety of educational programs, including:

  • Cultural Competency Programs
  • Diversity in Healthcare Forums and Conferences
  • Skills Training and Evaluation
  • Facilitation of Diversity Dialogue
  • Conflict Resolution and Management
  • Building Diverse Work Teams
  • Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
  • Cross-cultural Management Techniques

Cultural Competence Programs

The Cultural Competence Programs are designed to foster cultural competency across the full range of Cleveland Clinic departments.

To support the effective delivery of world-class care, staff and employees benefit from gaining:

  • Cultural competency skill sets for communicating across differences
  • Ability to work effectively with diverse teams
  • Collaborative conflict management

To help support a diverse and inclusive culture, diversity councils and employee groups are integrated within Cleveland Clinic, reporting feedback for continuous improvement.

Learn more about Diversity Councils and Employee Resource Groups:

Diversity Councils

Diversity Councils are advisory groups that support and sustain a high-performing, inclusive work environment by integrating diversity goals with the cornerstone values of quality, teamwork, service and innovation for the successful delivery of world-class service.

Council members plan events that incorporate the cornerstone values and enhance the delivery of world-class service.

A Diversity Coordinator represents each hospital/family health center council. Diversity Coordinators provide ongoing feedback to the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and in turn, to the Diversity Executive Council. Diversity Council Coordinators meet quarterly with the Office of Diversity & Inclusion.

Diversity Councils from Cleveland Clinic main campus, Cleveland Clinic Children’s, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic’s community hospitals and family health centers ensure system-wide attention to cultural competency as essential to the delivery of world-class patient care.

Employee Resource Groups

Employee Resource Groups are staff/employee groups that support a more inclusive, productive environment.

At Cleveland Clinic, these groups are time-limited task groups; however, these networks also provide education and awareness to the participants and other employees, and they offer opportunities for professional and personal growth for participants.

The purpose of the group is to help drive Cleveland Clinic’s mission, fundamental values, practices and global diversity objectives.

Affinity Groups are charged with the task of addressing specific questions and reporting back to the Diversity Executive Council. A chairperson for each network group is appointed, and Employee Resource Group chairs meet quarterly with the Office of Diversity & Inclusion.

Would you like more information?

To learn more, contact the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at 216.445.7323.

Employee Resource Groups

Employee Resource Groups

Employee Resource Groups work to raise awareness of the healthcare needs of our diverse patients by:

  • Providing community outreach and health information directly to diverse populations in our community
  • Educating and training our employees to increase cultural competency
  • Engaging our employees to “bring their whole selves” to work, which in turn allows them to offer the best care possible to our patients

Employee Resource Groups at Cleveland Clinic include:

Black Heritage Employee Resource Group (BHERG)

The Black Heritage Employee Resource Group (BHERG) provides a network that supports the professional development of Black Caregivers at all levels, and works with management to advance the inclusion, retention and career mobility of Black individuals. In addition, this group provides insights to senior management on strategies to enhance the image of Cleveland Clinic in the community.

Circle of Healers Native American Employee Resource Group

The Circle of Healers Native American Employee Resource Group is committed to providing networking opportunities, personal and professional development and cultural education while helping strengthen patient experience and community outreach. Its membership consists of employees throughout the enterprise.

ClinicPride Gay & Lesbian Employee Resource Group

ClinicPride, Cleveland Clinic's Gay & Lesbian Employee Resource Group, endeavors to provide a network that supports the professional development of LGBTA Employees, provides insight on gay and lesbian patient health and wellness issues, and works to increase recruitment and retention of LGBTA employees. ClinicPride is committed to creating an environment where all employees can do their best, bring their whole selves to work, and provide the best possible patient care.

DiversAbility

The mission of the DiversAbility ERG is to promote an environment throughout Cleveland Clinic (CC) that is welcoming and accessible to individuals with disabilities by: raising awareness on issues impacting caregivers, patients, and community members who are disabled; connecting caregivers and patients to services and resources available at CC and within Northeast Ohio; and collaborating with internal and external key stakeholders to support the recruitment, engagement, development, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

Global Employee Resource Group

The Global Employee Resource Group works to provide a network that supports the professional development of international employees, increasing retention and talent acquisition while working with senior management to address concerns, help strengthen the patient experience, provide feedback and promote positive growth.

Greater University Circle Employee Resource Group

The Greater University Circle Employee Resource Group (GUC-ERG) is comprised of Cleveland Clinic caregivers who reside in the Greater University Circle neighborhoods of Fairfax, Hough, Central, University Circle, Buckeye/Shaker, Wade Park-Glenville, Little Italy, and segments of East Cleveland. The GUC-ERG connects to the overarching goals of the Greater University Circle Initiative to: Engage Local, Hire Local, Live Local and Buy Local.

Interfaith Network Employee Resource Group

Employees engaged in the Interfaith Network assist Cleveland Clinic in promoting religious tolerance and understanding, integrity and human dignity. The network enables people of all religions to come together and express their faiths in appropriate and meaningful ways in the workplace while helping build bridges to patients who share these beliefs.

Military/Veterans' Employee Resource Group

The Military/Veterans' Employee Resource Group provides a network that supports the professional and personal development of active-duty military employees and veterans at all levels while working with management to advance the inclusion, retention and career mobility of these employees.

In addition, this group provides insights to senior management about strategies to enhance the image of Cleveland Clinic in the community, help strengthen patient experience and act as an employer of choice.

Are you interested in joining the Military/Veterans Employee Resource Group? If so, e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Minority Physicians Resource Group

The Minority Physicians Resource Group is committed to stimulating professional excellence among its members. The group encourages and supports personal and professional development, as well as development of the enterprise and communities in which it serves. Its membership consists of those appointed by the Board of Governors to the Office of Professional Staff Affairs.

 SALUD Hispanic/Latino Employee Resource Group

Spanish for "health," SALUD provides a network that supports the professional development of Hispanic/Latino employees, increases retention and talent acquisition, and works with senior management to address concerns, provide feedback and promote positive growth.

Women in Search of Excellence Employee Resource Group

Women in Search of Excellence (WISE) is a system-wide employee-led group that promotes personal and professional growth for Cleveland Clinic’s female employees. This is done through networking, mentoring, special initiatives and seminars. WISE works with WPSA- Women’s Professional Staff Association to support programming of interest to both groups.

Language Enrichment Programs

Language Enrichment Programs

Cleveland Clinic offers a variety of language enrichment programs to bi-lingual employees or to those who would like to become more proficient in speaking a foreign language to better communicate with patients of other cultures.

Learn about our language enrichment programs:

Spanish for Healthcare Professionals

Spanish for Healthcare Professionals trains non-Spanish healthcare professionals with functional Spanish skills to better communicate with Spanish speaking employees and patients. The program has been designed to improve basic communication with Limited English Proficient employees, patients, families and caregivers.

The course covers basic expressions, hospital expressions, emergency room and nursing terminology, medical terminology and case studies.

Spanish for HealthCare Professionals benefits include:

  • Higher quality healthcare to Limited English Spanish Speaking patients
  • Better communication between clinicians, patients and families
  • Clearer instructions and explanations from clinicians to patients
  • Fewer misunderstandings and less confusion and frustration
  • Higher patient trust and world-class patient experience

Accent Modification Program

The Accent Modification (Reduction) Program was designed to benefit clinicians who speak English as a Second Language (ESL). The program was created to improve communication skills.

The program includes an In-depth evaluation consisting of an individualized treatment plan and post-treatment evaluation. The program typically contains 10 sessions but this may vary depending on individual needs and severity levels. The program also provides materials, equipment and supplies for implementation, treatment and evaluation of the program.

The Accent Modification (Reduction) benefits include:

  • Higher quality healthcare to patients
  • Better communication between clinicians, patients and families
  • Clearer instructions and explanations from clinicians to patients
  • Fewer misunderstandings and less confusion and frustrations
  • Higher patient trust and world-class patient experience

Vocational English as a Second Language

Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) is designed to assist English Language Learners (ELLs) by enhancing their workplace English-language skills. The program is designed to improve the English speaking, listening, and reading skills of ELLs.

The course, developed with support from Human Resources, includes curriculum that has been customized to be as job-focused as possible. This course includes:

  • Baseline language skills assessment
  • Curriculum from the Quantum Leap Pad System
  • Cleveland Clinic healthcare vocabulary and terminology
  • Personalized tutoring sessions
  • 12 monthly language training sessions
  • Final language skills assessment
  • Graduation

The program will serve as “bridge” to the School At Work Program currently provided at Cleveland Clinic.

The Vocational English as a Second Language Program benefits include:

  • Ability to communicate effectively in English with nurses, patients, guests and staff
  • Increase in participants’ abilities to read information needed to perform the job effectively
  • Increase in participants’ confidence to speak English on the job, including the ability to ask, answer most common questions and ask for clarification in English
  • Increases the participants’ abilities to report information to a supervisor in English
Would you like more information?

To learn more, contact the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at 216.445.7323.