Top ranked hospitals: does diversity inclusion matter?

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this research is to compare the mission statements of the hospitals listed on the 2014 US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals List to investigate the research question, “Are high ranking hospitals (HRH) more likely than low ranking hospitals (LRH) to address cultural diversity in strategic statements?” Design/methodology/approach The strategic statements of 44 HRH and 56 LRH were compared using chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Findings While the data do not support the notion that HRHs are more likely than LRHs to address diversity in strategic statements, HRHs are more likely than LRHs to actually devote resources to address the issues of cultural diversity. Research limitations/implications The current research is limited to a sample taken from the US News & World Report Best Hospitals. This is not a definitive list, and a multitude of third-party hospital raters exist – each with its own unique metrics. Practical implications The results do not show a relationship between a hospital’s mission statement and its ranking in the US News List of Best Hospitals. However, the findings suggest that hospitals that maintain a dedicated diversity manager/office do tend to be higher ranked. Originality/value This is the first known investigation of the relationship between the inclusion of diversity in hospital mission statements and hospital rankings. The research suggests that addressing diversity in strategic statements is simply not enough and that dedicated, ground-level resources are necessary to properly impact quality care and third-party ratings.