Advisory Committee Chair
Robert Weech-Maldonado
Advisory Committee Members
Allyson G Hall
Geoff Silvestra
Jeff M Szychowski
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2022
Degree Name by School
Executive Doctor of Science (DSc) School of Health Professions
Abstract
Healthcare organizations drive to achieve hospital measures has much to do with strategies put in place by the executive leadership team and resources of the firm. Forces such as regulatory changes reducing hospital payments and external forces such as social injustices leave executives turning to innovative ways to improve the bottomline. This study examined the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and the relationship with hospitals measures of financial performance and patient experience for hospitals with a CDO and without a CDO. Hospitals with a CDO can deploy organizational strategies such as diversity management and cultural competencies. These strategies are important because of the demographic changes occurring in our patient population, workforce population, and cultural sensitivities. The relationship between a CDO and the hospital performance measures are unclear because of paucity of research, making it more important to add to this body of research. The study intended to answer six questions and will assist HCO executive teams in evaluating the adoption of the role of CDOs as a executive position. This study used secondary data with general and market level hospital characteristics retrieved for 4,892 hospitals. Exclusions removed 559, leaving 4,333 with 332 hospitals with a CDO and 4,001 without. Analysis was run to answer the research questions, an interaction term was created by multiplying the CDO and the minority iv percent in the county to evaluate the relationship when there is a higher percent of minorities present. Additionally, a stratified teaching status analysis was run. Primary results suggest no relationship between the role of the CDO for both operating margin and total margin. However, primary results suggest that hospitals with a CDO in more diverse communities are associated with better patient experience. When adding the interaction term patient experience was statistically significant. For the stratified analyses, results suggest that non-teaching hospitals with a CDO are associated with better operating margin and better patient experience. Limitations included a small sample size, secondary data, and time limitations. Findings from this study will provide perspectives, concepts, innovative methods and strategies about the role of the CDO and its relationship with hospital measures.
Recommended Citation
Blackledge, Kemberly L., "An Examination of the Relationship Between the Role of the Chief Diversity Officer and Hospital Financial Performance and Patient Experience Measures" (2022). All ETDs from UAB. 146.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/146