The Role and Importance of DEIAB in Public 
Health Workforce Development to Advance 
Health Equity 

So I'll, I'll begin with sharing my slide here. Let's see.  
Thank you for all the hearts. 
I love that. 
Thank you. 
All right. 
And I do apologize in advance as I do have an active storm going here. 
So let's hope that our connection stays good. 
But again, yeah, so we're gonna talk about today the role and importance of DEIAB. 
So diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging or belongingness in the public 
health laboratory workforce. 
And of course, in that discussion really focus on advancing Health Equity. 
I just want to make sure everyone can see my slides. 
OK. Thumbs up. 
Perfect. 
The applause. 
Yes, thank you. 
All right, so first and foremost, again, Happy Lab Week. 
As I was sharing with our teams yesterday, this is our national holiday, right? Where we 
get to not only just recognize the efforts of our workforce, but just the amazing contributions to 
what we do when saving lives every day. 
So I applaud you and commend you for all the amazing work that our workforce is 
doing. 
So again, Happy Lab Week. 
And as I was already introduced, you've got a sense of my background. 
But I always love to share, of course, my pronouns, she, her, hers, and the fact that I just 
love learning. 
And part of that learning journey for me has been just really expanding my 
understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it really plays a really significant role 
in the work that we do as not just as a workforce but even as individuals in our day-to-day work 
in the laboratory workforce. 
And so I've been a longtime advocate when it comes to DEIAB and just really excited to 
give this talk to you all today. 
And just as a quick disclosure, I do not have any financial disclosures or conflicts of 
interest with the presented material in this session. 
And so just quick review of today's objectives. 
So today I hope attendees will be able to describe DEIAB, again diversity, equity, 
inclusion, accessibility, and belonging, including its role in the public health laboratory 
workforce. 
And this is also, this is not just exclusive to public health laboratory workforce, but also 
to our clinical laboratory workforce as well. 
Explain the importance of DEIAB and workforce development initiatives as it pertains to 
our workforce and just discussing different approaches for advancing Health Equity and the 
work that we do, especially among those underrepresented or marginalized populations. 
And again identifying opportunities to successfully integrate DEIAB into the training and 
education of our workforce. 
And so for anyone who's ever been to a Dana Baker talk, I always love to include a 
quote. 
And so I thought that this quote, although brief, really resonated with me from Dr. Paul 
Farmer in which he briefly but importantly stated that equity is the only acceptable goal. 
And I feel like this is truly applicable to the work that we do within the laboratory 
workforce that our contributions, our testing, all that work really goes toward advancing equity 
among not just our patients but collectively our communities. 
So first, I just wanted to kind of give an overview of just some terminology, but also just 
the different dimensions of diversity as it may be a part of the work that we do day-to-day. 
And so in just thinking about how we are doing work to shape our future laboratory 
workforce and in thinking about diversity and inclusion in particular, how these two concepts 
really have been identified as crucial for workforce development and the improvement of our 
overall public health and well-being. 
And really with diversity and inclusion, we're able to through increasing that or 
recognizing the need to have increased diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as accessibility, I 
have to include that in there as well. 
That's really important. 
This will help to further strengthen and develop our workforce and really with us 
collectively striving towards that goal to be more inclusive within the laboratories and of 
course, ensuring that we are more reflective of the diverse communities that we serve. 
And so I wanted to start with talking about Health Equity and just making sure that we 
all have a shared understanding of what that means. 
And I like this description from the World Health Organization, in which they described 
equity as the absence of unfair, avoidable or remediable differences among groups of people, 
whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically, or geographically or 
by other dimensions of inequality. 
And so truly Health Equity is achieved when everyone can attain their full potential for 
health and well-being. 
And so we want to make sure that everyone has the resources necessary to help fulfill 
their own quality of health, but also improve their well-being irrespective of where they are in, 
in the sense of socioeconomic status, geographical location, and so forth. 
And so really one of the descriptions that I saw with equity that I did that that really 
spoke to me was that equity is a process, whereas equality is an outcome of that process. 
And then also we can't talk about Health Equity without discussing social determinants 
of health and of course healthcare disparities as I feel like those two are really pertinent to this 
conversation. 
And so just quickly going through those descriptions here, as far as social determinants 
of health has been described as the personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that 
determine unequal and avoidable differences in health status. 
And then healthcare equities is really more so referring to those differences in health 
and in healthcare between those groups stemming from those broader inequities. 
And so, as it has been described here by CDC with regard to disparities, these are 
preventable differences. 
And this is in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal 
health that's often experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. 
And so, again, what is the work that we can do collectively to help mitigate disparities 
and really advance Health Equity from the contributions of our profession? 
And we'll talk about that more, how it does continue to persist here in the United States 
in particular and I'm sure in other parts of the world. 
And so if you're not familiar with Healthy People 2030, I absolutely encourage you to 
definitely look into this really important resource and initiative. 
And there should be a link added to the chat so you can read up more on this. 
But Healthy People 2030 does include social determinants of health among its leading 
health indicators. 
This is an area of focus for Healthy People 20-30 and with it being one of the five 
overarching goals we really want to work for creating social, physical, and economic 
environments that promote attaining the full potential for health and well-being for all and 
some other examples of social determinants of health. 
Just so you kind of have this idea of what I'm talking about when I when I keep saying 
that, it's really looking at examples of you know, safe housing, transportation, and thinking 
about transportation to and from whether that's medical appointments or even you know, the 
inclusion of laboratory testing being a part of that transportation. 
The different aspects or levels of education, work, or job opportunities, income as that 
all can impact medical insurance as well. 
The ability to have access to clean water, clean air, you know, quality nutritious food, all 
things that are necessity for our day-to-day living that unfortunately everyone does not have 
access to. 
And then importantly, just really thinking about health literacy and I know that's a 
phrase or term that we've heard probably more so in recent years. 
But when I hear health literacy as a laboratory professional, I think about interpretation 
of laboratory data and really understanding what that means and the implications of that on 
someone's health and well-being. 
And especially now that patients have more direct access or immediate access to the 
laboratory results. 
And unfortunately consulting Dr. 
Google if you will, when they are trying to interpret their lab results, what opportunities 
exist for us as a profession to really help with that understanding of what laboratory data 
means and how it does impact their overall health and well-being quality of life. 
And so with that foundation, instead of just talking about advancing Health Equity, what 
does it mean to really discuss or explore social determinants of health and healthcare 
disparities? 
I thought it was important to kind of tie that into workforce, right? 
Like what does that mean for us? 
And in this article, essentially it I'm just gonna read the quote directly as I felt like it was 
just really profound in that people of color often face challenges in accessing equitable 
healthcare. 
Disparities in healthcare pose a very real moral and ethical social justice dilemma for 
society and prevent efforts to improve the nation's health and manage escalating healthcare 
costs. 
So really going back into those social determinants of health and the implications of 
that. 
But that also a diverse healthcare workforce is necessary as a means to help care for an 
increasingly diverse patient population. 
And given that we have evidence of an increasingly diverse patient population, it is 
really important to have this discussion around what diversity, equity, inclusion means for us as 
a workforce and increasing that to again be more reflective of the patients and the 
communities that we are serving. 
And so kind of transitioning into this discussion of workforce diversity in particular, we 
touched on DEI, but I really want to talk more about belonging or belongingness because this 
also speaks to that, not just the recruitment aspect but the retention. 
So although some agencies have or organizations have really focused on increasing the 
diversity of their applicant pools and recruiting more individuals from diverse backgrounds, 
what does that mean in terms of retention and of that individual feeling like they have a sense 
of belonging or that sense of a meaningful connection not just within the organization but 
within the workforce as a whole. 
And so in belongingness looking at working with teams where individuals feel included, 
seen, and valued as a part of that workforce diversity, them  feeling appreciated for their 
contributions, not just within their role, but to the organization itself and to the workforce as a 
whole, able to show up authentically, fully as themselves, and feeling accepted for showing up 
authentic authentically as their full selves. 
And all of that is really going to speak to not just retention for the organization, but also 
the retention for our workforce. 
As many of you know, we have workforce shortages across both medical and public 
health laboratories. 
And so this is something that may seem small, but it's actually a value, great value 
especially to those who do come from diverse background. 
If they're lacking that sense of connection and belongingness not just to the 
organization but to the overall body of work, then that's going to impact retention for us as a 
profession. 
And so I love this description from this particular article that I was reading where if we 
fail to consider inclusion and belongingness, the sustainability and long-term impact of diversity 
initiatives will be limited. 
And I would actually go beyond that in saying that not only the initiatives will be limited 
but also the opportunity to retain quality personnel that really are effectively contributing to 
the work that we're doing will definitely be impacted. 
So this is something that you definitely want to consider when it comes to DEI that not 
only are we focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, but the outcome of that being that that 
individual has a sense of belonging within the organization and within our workforce. 
And so I like to bring in dimensions of diversity when anytime I'm doing a DEI talk 
because I know that in some spaces DEI seems to be really just centered around race and 
ethnicity, which is very important. 
I do not take away from that. 
That is immensely important, especially when we're talking about underrepresented or 
marginalized populations. 
But there are also other dimensions that we really need to talk about when it comes to 
the impact of the work that we do day-to-day and what we have to even take into 
consideration in laboratory testing. 
So definitely age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical abilities. 
Those are all considered a part of those primary dimensions or those things that we 
initially maybe see or are visible to us. 
But also factoring in those secondary dimensions are really important too. 
When we talk about the diversity of our communities or the diversity of our patient 
population. Did they formerly serve in the military, or do they currently serve in the military? 
What is their work experience, their education level? 
Income? 
Touching on that socioeconomic status. 
Religion can definitely have an impact on not just laboratory testing but treatment plans 
as depending on certain religions, there may be certain medical interventions that are not 
acceptable. 
And So what are the alternate solutions or alternate treatment plans when it comes to 
that or alternate testing that we can do. Geographical location, which really speaks to 
transportation and access as well. 
What does that look like? 
And even looking at organizational roles and so forth. 
And so one of the dimensions here that I like to call attention to as well is the work 
content or our professional field. 
And so of course you might have heard a lot of these discussions around professional 
identity and I'm not gonna take that full dive into that. 
That's a whole other hour that we could talk about professional identity, really more 
than an hour. 
But as laboratory professionals too and just looking at our work, how does that 
contribute to our dimension of diversity and our identity and our occupation, and how we see 
ourselves, and how we identify ourselves as well. 
And so just all of this comes together to really make up who we are as individuals, but 
also how are we meeting people where they are in helping to advance Health Equity in the 
work that we do. 
So we'll talk about that a little bit more. 
All right. 
So I've kind of given a foundation somewhat. 
So I hope that will help as we kind of steer this conversation more into workforce stuff 
and really looking at a couple of different reports that actually really do support this discussion 
around fostering that increased diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
And so one of the reports if you're not familiar with it is the Siemens report that came 
out a couple years ago, which was a study that really looked at the challenges that are facing or 
that we're facing as clinical laboratory professionals and explored how to meet the current and 
future needs of the workforce. 
And in in this study there were three overarching areas that really stood out as an 
outcome of this report. 
So increasing visibility. 
So of course we're doing that in lab week, but we need to do it all year long as far as it's 
really increasing the visibility and awareness of our profession and what we do. 
But also improving recruitment and retention was definitely highlighted as a part of not 
just our current but also future need in the workforce and here right here at #3 focusing on 
diversity and inclusion in the laboratory. 
And so that's really paramount to the work that we're doing and of course that point of 
it helping to advance and contribute to the advancement of Health Equity. 
And if implemented, these actions will contribute towards strengthening the career 
path into laboratory careers in the field. 
And so transitioning that into the 2021 wage survey that was published by ASCP at the 
end of 2022, this is a biannual survey. 
And I think this one is really important as well when we have this discussion around 
workforce and DEIAB as this does provide a good snapshot of what is happening in terms of 
wage survey, but also just a demographic makeup of those respondents completing these 
surveys. 
And I'll just take a quick little soapbox here, where I know survey fatigue is real, 
especially in this day and age. 
But if there's any opportunity to complete a wage survey, a vacancy survey, anything 
workforce-related survey, I as a laboratory professional want to encourage you all, 'cause I've 
endured that survey fatigue as well. 
But I encourage participation in these surveys because this is what gives us that 
snapshot of what is happening in our workforce. 
And if we don't have individuals completing these surveys, it's harder to really capture 
that and really to be more reflective and inclusive of what's happening across our field. 
So that's my quick little soapbox there. 
But for this survey, these results really helped to serve as that basis for us just really 
looking at what needs to happen with regard to recruitment, retention, education, advocacy, 
and so forth. 
And this also included that increased focus on visibility, recruitment, retention, and 
diversity. 
And so just a couple of the distributions I want to share as a part of this discussion on 
DEI. 
And from those that responded to this survey, you'll notice that quite a number of 
people fell within that 25 to 44 age bracket. 
As far as the number of individuals that responded to this survey which when you 
compare it to our understanding or numbers when it comes to the laboratory workforce, this is 
pretty close to representing that age diversity if you will of the makeup of the workforce. 
So just kind of getting a sense or a snapshot again of where we fall in the sense of age 
range. 
So I think that's really important to gather especially when we're looking at the number 
of individuals that are entering the profession. 
And again, this is an opportunity as I stated earlier as far as maybe that having more 
increased participation in surveys just so that we could have just more of that information 
contributing to the information that we're seeing here as well. 
And then also looking at ethnicity where most of the participants self-identified as 
white. 
So that was right around 72.5% of participants or respondents here. 
And kind of keep this in mind when we look at public health here in a little bit. 
And then in terms of education, that being also a dimension of diversity, I thought that 
was important to consider where most of the respondents fell here as far as having a bachelor's 
degree with about just over 15-16% or so that have advanced education here. 
OK, so now we're going to look at public health laboratory professionals and with PH 
WINS, this is a public health workforce interest and needs survey. 
So this is actually conducted every three years by the de Beaumont Foundation and the 
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. 
And actually the next iteration of that I believe is due to launch this September in 2024. 
So again, I believe that link is being shared here in the chat. 
But I would encourage you to also look into this just for your own awareness of this 
survey and the data that they collect regarding workforce demographics as well as training 
needs, professional engagement, satisfaction, and other areas as well. 
But this is the only national survey that is representative local and state government, 
public health workforce employees in the United States. 
And I I want to pull some information as it related to laboratory professionals out of that 
particular survey. 
And so here if we were to compare what we see in clinical or medical laboratory 
workforce and with public health laboratory professionals, about 52% of those that responded 
to this survey fell within that similar age range I would say. 
So over half within 31 and 50 years of age. 
With race and ethnicity we have just over 50%, so 56% as self-identified as white. 
So you have a little bit of increased diversity here in terms of you know respondents 
within the public health laboratory workforce.  
And then about 72% of lab professionals identified as women. 
So of course this is something that we've known about our workforces whether it's 
clinical or public health laboratory workforce that it tends to be primarily comprised of women. 
So opportunities there in terms of recruitment as well. And educational attainment is 
similar as far as about 43% hold a bachelor's degree with actually a higher percentage of 
advanced education here as far as those that hold master's and doctoral degrees. 
And of course this is of those who were surveyed for the respondents to the survey. 
And so in addition to that demographic information, what I thought was really 
interesting about this particular survey was them really looking at perceptions about 
organizations. 
And I thought it was  really telling just to see that 68% of laboratory professionals 
perceived DEI as agency priorities. 
And so I thought that that was really great that you know for at least over half of these 
participants, they do perceive DEI within their employer's organization as a priority with 72% 
indicating that supervisors respect all employee backgrounds. 
So that also would speak to what was discussed earlier as far as inclusion, but also 
hopefully that sense of belongingness that some of these respondents may feel or perceive. 
And then they also touched on Health Equity, which I thought was really interesting as 
well. 
And so just in the sense of those respondents being aware of Health Equity and what 
that concept is, you have about 57% that had a I would say an enhanced awareness of that, 
which is great, but again an opportunity to increase that awareness just across the workforce of 
the profession itself. 
But then when we looked at confidence as far as now how do I apply this to the work 
that I do? Now that was a little bit lower as far as very confident being 38%. 
And so again, I see this as opportunities to like great, we have some awareness here of 
what Health Equity is. 
Now how do we increase our confidence to where we're able to successfully apply this 
to the work that we do. And very similar with social determinants of health where they also 
indicated their level of awareness and their sense or level of confidence regarding that topic or 
concept. 
So you had about 47% that were like, "Yep, I'm very aware of social determinants of 
health, "  
whereas then we saw that lower percentage or lesser percentage with that level of 
confidence in applying that to the work. 
So again, opportunity to really increase that. 
I clicked too fast. 
Ok. 
So coming from just looking at all that data, which I know is a lot of information, but you 
know we're scientists, we love data. 
So I hope y'all are OK with that. 
But as we look at all that information, what does it mean when we talk about DEIAB? 
And I think it helps to essentially lay that framework or that foundation of where we are, 
but also where we have opportunities to go and grow. 
But how do we go about doing that? 
How do we not only enhance our awareness when it comes to Health Equity and social 
determinants of health, but how do we strengthen our confidence and our self-efficacy when it 
comes to being able to actually apply those concepts to the work that we do every day. 
And as with any time I give a DEI talk and I'm approached by an individual about, well, 
how do I go about this, where do I even begin? 
And I'm like, you know, it starts with us on the individual level and so and when I say us, 
that includes me too. 
I had to do a lot of that work and really increasing my own understanding and 
knowledge when it came to these concepts. 
What kind of you know, workshops, training, professional development opportunities 
are you able to leverage just so that you are increasing your own understanding. 
For me, I'm like, that's not anyone else's responsibility necessarily to teach me unless 
I'm enrolled in a class or something like that. 
But what 
is my motivation and intrinsic factor of just wanting to know more just so that I could be 
effectively applying this in the work that I'm doing every day? 
And so, using myself as an example, I sought out those opportunities for additional 
training. 
As soon as I became aware of a professional development opportunity that would 
support me going back to school and attaining a certificate in DEI, I did that. 
I always try to attend conferences or opportunities to where I could just be a sponge 
and just learn more and so that's where I encourage just starting where you are because you 
have a sense. 
I would hope that you have a sense of where you are in terms of your understanding 
related to these concepts and be encouraged to seek that out. 
But even reach out to people to say, "hey, do you have any recommendations or 
resources for this?" 
And so that's part of a lot of the links that are being added to the chat today too, as far 
as just helping to share that information. 
But then when we go beyond that individual level, now what are we doing as an 
organization? 
And so that's something where anywhere I've worked, I've intentionally sought out, 
well, what are we doing with regard to DEI and how 
are we as an organization integrating that into the work that we're doing? 
So if there's a committee, if there's a task force, if there's an initiative, a project big or 
small, I'm not saying go out and change the world, but just finding a way just to not only 
increase my awareness of what we're doing as an organization, but opportunities for me to plug 
in and just help to contribute to that work. 
But also that's another learning opportunity for me as well. 
So I always encourage that, just being aware of what your organization is doing, or is 
there an opportunity to do something if nothing is being done right now. 
So bringing that conversation to the table; now, what are we doing as a laboratory 
workforce? 
Let's move it up a little bit. 
I think that's really important as well to look out externally to see what's happening. 
And so one of the, I would say more recent exciting developments is the recent 
formation of the Medical and Public Health Laboratory, 
gosh, I want to get this right, coalition, Workforce Coalition. 
And so it's the medical and public health workforce coalition that is this forming of over 
20 different associations, APHL included. 
Shameless plug. 
But just being a part of that conversation of looking at workforce in general, what does 
recruitment and retention look like in terms of needs for both medical and public health 
laboratory workforces? 
What does an increasing diversity and inclusion look like in advancing Health Equity? 
This is all part of those conversations. 
So as a workforce, it's really exciting to see, to look out and see that that's happening. 
There are different steering committees, groups that are forming or have formed within 
different professional associations. 
So really look to that too and see what they're doing and as an opportunity to volunteer 
and plug in and be a part of that work. 
And then looking to what's happening within your community. 
Are there opportunities within where you work, where you reside? 
Are there barriers and challenges there when it comes to Health Equity, and how can 
laboratory be a part of that conversation? 
I always advocate for lab getting a seat at the table. 
There are so many conversations even regarding DEIAB that we haven't been able, I felt 
like we've been a little later to the table too as far as being included as a part of this 
conversation. 
So again, it's just really exciting to see these different groups come together especially 
with our workforce coalition, where we're having more of these conversations, where we're 
being invited to more tables to represent the work that we're doing. 
And so we're getting there. 
And so I definitely encourage people to become a part of that or at least become aware 
of what's happening in those spaces. 
So let's talk more about this workforce development and again just the benefits of 
diversity when we talk about our workforce. 
And so in a, in a previous report, some of the benefits that were listed including that 
improved access to health quality care and/or our underserved and underrepresented 
populations, really having that increased or larger pool of trained professionals from 
underrepresented communities, 
because that will also lead to that increased diversity of our workforce and overall 
greater patient satisfaction. 
As I know I have probably on a later slide, but I'll just bring it up here. 
Whereas when you have that increased representation on your healthcare team 
especially within the laboratory workforce that increases that diversity of thought, diversity of 
solution, inclusion of more of that discussion around problem-solving and that would include 
you know treatment approaches or how we may address certain barriers or issues when it 
comes to diagnostic testing. 
So all of that as we're creating and really I would say bringing together those solutions 
for our patients, it helps to improve their overall satisfaction with their treatment and care, 
improve patient-provider relationships. 
Also, that increases trust and communication. 
As many of you I'm sure know, there are definite marginalized populations in 
communities where medical mistrust is still very prevalent. 
And so how do we increase that trust and through that increased communication 
between patients and providers. 
So, this is, this is another benefit of that increased diversity and also increasing the 
likelihood of patients accepting and receiving evidence-based medical care and ensuring them 
that is what we're providing, that we are leaning more on best practices, leaning more on 
evidence-based medical care, that you know we bring science to the table. 
And so, knowing that data and that information is really driving a lot of the care and the 
work that we're doing is also really important for our patients to be aware of and that overall 
improved health and of course well-being. 
And so again just think about the work that we do.  
We generate the data that is used to demonstrate the impact on Health Equity. 
So, let's not you know, diminish or decrease the value of the work that we are doing as a 
workforce. 
They are using the data to help drive the decisions, to drive, you know, what algorithms 
or treatment plans, protocols, and so forth are happening. 
So, the work that we do is really vital when it comes to advancing Health Equity. 
And it gives us an opportunity to become more actively engaged in advocacy work and 
policymaking within laboratory science and ultimately within healthcare and public health. 
And also examining the role of laboratory testing practices and systemic issues directly 
impacting underrepresented populations. 
So even the discussions around whether it's race-based laboratory test or other 
systemic issues that have arisen over the years regarding that we're able to use or examine how 
the lab plays a role in that, in helping to dispel or debunk what the significance of those tests 
are, what's the scientific basis for those results, and how that data can help support that 
increased quality of care for our patients and communities. 
And then also developing those strategies to help reduce or mitigate health disparities. 
And also of course improving access to appropriate laboratory testing. 
Thinking about the social determinants of health, not everyone can just hop in their car 
and go have laboratory testing performed. 
So how can we increase those opportunities for point-of-care or home testing or those 
telehealth communications and possibly even lab being a part of that? 
So just exploring those different opportunities to even engage interprofessionally with 
our other members of the healthcare team to let them know of these options or just have 
discussions around alternative plans for that. 
So that way we're optimizing that quality of care, but also satisfaction with patient care, 
keeping those social determinants of health in mind. 
And so I will always argue as a laboratory professional myself that the equity work 
cannot be left to someone else to do. 
We can't say no, it's another profession's job or that falls under another professional 
rules hat. 
This is a part of our scope of practice. 
Again, we generate the data where we're knowledgeable, we are experts in the work 
that we do, and we have something to say. As a Southerner, I know that was the thing that we 
always say, you know, the South has something to say, but I love to apply that to our laboratory 
professionals. 
We have something to say, you know, when it comes to Health Equity and how we 
advance that and how we improve that. 
And we have that direct understanding of how we can help improve coordination of 
laboratory services across healthcare systems as well as across public health systems, 
increasing that diverse representation in our workforce again as a part of our pathway building, 
and being able to integrate cultural competency and understanding with Health Equity 
indicators will also impact our performance metrics. 
So just all things to take into consideration when we have this discussion. 
And so just now just moving into more of you know opportunities to develop ourselves 
professionally when it comes to training and education for laboratory professionals. 
So, I think it's just really important to establish what that culture looks like with us, 
whether that's organizationally or even as a workforce. 
And so even asking ourselves individually, what is your commitment the DEIAB and 
whether that's to, you know, I want to contribute to the advancement of Health Equity, 
I want to help address barriers and challenges when it comes to laboratory testing. 
I want to help mitigate health disparities, 
whatever that commitment is, what is. What is your commitment to that? 
And does your commitment align with your organizational partners? 
And so not just looking internally, but also looking externally too, to see how that 
commitment aligns and also take into consideration what is the vision of DEIAB for your team? 
And do you have any continued education or professional development opportunities 
that are accessible to your team? 
And if not, what are those opportunities to reach out and connect with others to seek 
out those opportunities that may help support the development of your team? 
And has there been an opportunity to create objectives, goals, values, or statements 
even related to DEIAB?  
Just so that collectively there's a shared understanding of what that commitment looks 
like and how we're shaping the culture of DEIAB within our respective teams or organizations? 
I'd like to use this as an example from APHL that this is built into our core values as an 
organization. 
And so, you know, as a part of our looking at our commitment to our community, the 
innovation, scientific and professional integrity, we also have diversity, equity, inclusion, 
accessibility right there. 
And this is accessible on our website so that we embrace, promote, and model a culture 
of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and recognize it as essential to the work we perform 
in the communities we serve. 
So, it's there in black and white. 
So collectively we have an understanding of what that value is and we know that it's 
integral to the work that we do every day. 
And also looking at you know just promoting DEI or DEIAB and increasing representation 
in the workforce. 
So, what are the benefits beyond and including improving patient outcomes, increasing 
that employee satisfaction and building stronger communities, which is really important to our 
overall arching Health Equity goal? But increasing access and reducing those barriers to 
advancement opportunities. 
So, reviewing what your practices look like internally for recruitment and retention, but 
also how are you increasing or encouraging more diverse applicants or individuals from diverse 
backgrounds rather to apply and to seek out opportunities with your organization and also 
fostering more inclusive work environments? 
So always really champion ensuring that before we go out and just recruit for the sake 
of recruiting, let's make sure the environment is ready and that we've created an environment 
that is inclusive and welcoming, 
when we bring in individuals from diverse backgrounds instead of kind of doing that 
work the other way around because we want them to immediately plug in, connect, have a 
sense of belonging in the workplace and on the team. 
So also consider that inclusive messaging about programs and again just sharing 
upfront, what does advancement opportunities look like? 
What does that career ladder or pathway look like for that individual? And getting more 
into this recruitment and retention practice, 
when we're looking at recruitment, you know, reviewing those job advertisements and 
posts and where we're posting. Are we posting in areas where we can increase our pool of 
candidates? 
Revisiting what job descriptions look like just to make sure our language is inclusive 
there again and that we're effectively communicating the requirements or expectations of the 
role. 
Reassessing those interview questions, I encourage people don't leave questions or use 
the same set of questions for 10 years, Always revisit that and see is there an opportunity to 
update it, to improve it? 
As with as we talk about DEIAB and that work, that work is ever evolving, terms are 
changing and evolving. 
So, we just want to make sure that we're timely and relevant when it comes to any 
particular documentation such as interview questions that we're using. 
And I've already touched on the use of inclusive language, revisiting what those 
onboarding materials may look like, 
are we paying fair or equitable compensation, 
rather? Are our dress code requirements inclusive? 
So that that way if individuals want to wear their hair in a certain style or wear certain 
clothing that may be more reflective or indicative of their culture or their background or their 
sense of identity even. 
Is that really a barrier 
if they want to wear certain things in the work that they're doing. Just being mindful and 
just having those conversations about that, reviewing the competency assessments, that's the 
same thing. 
So, if you've been using the same annual competency for years and maybe some of the 
questions are slightly outdated, especially when we look at ethnicity and some of the 
laboratory testing that is performed, there are some practices that we've come away from, but 
questions in the competencies are still there. 
Revisit that and make sure that those again are up-to-date and relevant and reflective of 
evidence-based practice. 
And as you're doing that, reviewing the language in your standard operating procedures 
or policies and also handbooks. 
And then when it goes to retention, looking at how we do performance reviews, are 
these equitable reviewing benefits and compensation? 
And if there are opportunities to have different scheduling options, let's explore that 
and have an open dialogue about it. 
What does it mean in the sense of operations and performance? 
I know that there's going to be a different train of thought depending on probably when 
some of us entered the workforce or probably how some of us entered the workforce. 
And so our impression and understanding of what a schedule should be and look like 
has potentially evolved at this point. 
So, let's just kind of be open to having that conversation and looking to of course 
industry again to see what is best practice to help inform a lot of that decision-making as well. 
Mentorship, I cannot overemphasize is so important and crucial to professional 
development. And so ensuring that mentorship is a part of that retention effort 
so that person feels like or that individual feels like they have that ongoing guidance and 
support from a mentor can really speak to that sustainability and continuance of their work 
with the organization. And recognition programs are really important. 
OK. 
I'm looking at my time too. 
So professional development, let me get into that. 
That's really important too, as that speaks to the ongoing training and education needs. 
DEIAB can be a part of that training as well, especially if that's the culture that you've 
decided that you really wanted to engage and implement within your organization or within 
your team. 
Having those discussions again around what career advancement may look like and 
again competency-based training can be a part of that consideration for professional 
development. 
So, and just really still expanding on this inclusive recruitment practice when it comes to 
our workforce diversity by employing those better or enhanced inclusive recruitment practices. 
This will help expand opportunities for us to recruit more qualified individuals from 
diverse backgrounds into laboratory science. 
And even when we look at the bottom line in terms of another benefit of workforce 
diversity, it was in this report from McKenzie and Company that the most or the more diverse 
that companies are, it's more likely that they will outperform less diverse peers on profitability. 
So, it speaks to the bottom line of just profits, operations, organizational performance, 
and so forth. 
So, it does impact that bottom line when it comes to the work that we do. 
And then I wanted to call this out to not necessarily Toot our Horn, but I will a little bit 
here when it comes to recognition and visibility. 
And so, last year, we applied for this opportunity to be recognized as an inspiring 
program in STEM with insight into diversity, just really highlighting the work that our programs 
are doing with that intentionality of increasing the diversity of our workforce through our 
fellowship and internship opportunities, through public health laboratories. 
And we were noted as an honoree last year and recognized for that work. 
And there's a link being added to the chat now because I would love to see more labs, 
more lab organizations, they have specific requirements where even nonprofit organizations 
can apply. 
Because I know there's a lot of associations and organizations doing some really 
impactful work when it comes to increasing diversity within the laboratory workforce. 
So instead of being hidden as much as we are, this is an opportunity to increase visibility 
for the programs and the work that we are collectively doing. 
And so know that this application is open now. I don't want to just keep it to ourselves 
because again it we are coming up together, we need that increased visibility and just increased 
awareness of the work that's happening in the laboratory workforce. 
So definitely consider this as a potential opportunity to you know, receive recognition as 
an organization. 
And so, with that just additional strategies for implementation of DEIAB. 
So again, I cannot over mention or overstate that you know, increasing your 
understanding of the topic is really important. 
So, it starts with you. 
It starts at that individual level, but then also going back and reviewing the 
organizational mission, vision, goals, and policies. 
There's nothing in place, 
initiate the conversation about why we don't have anything in place and is there an 
opportunity to put something in place. 
Engaging in active listening is really crucial when we're having these conversations. 
So that way we're just being mindful of how collectively our thoughts and our 
perceptions of  DEIAB 
may be a part of the work that we're doing. 
But also writing a statement or practice about your approaches, when you're doing that 
work, include your team. 
So that way they are able to offer their input and insights. 
Again, going back to that diversity of thought, you want to be really inclusive of that and 
really being able to communicate. 
So even if it speaks to like science communication, being able to effectively 
communicate the value of not just our laboratory workforce but DEIAB and our role in helping 
to advance Health Equity in regards to that. 
But when you're able to communicate the value, it helps to improve productivity. 
Of course, again, it helps to foster that diversity of thought when it comes to decision
making and problem-solving, 
and so forth troubleshooting. 
But again, it does enhance your recruitment and retention for your team. 
And so here I have another dump of resources that are going to be added to the chat. 
But I just thought that these are some great tools just to be aware of. 
So, if you haven't had an opportunity to utilize the inclusive communication tool 
provided by the CDC, this is a great conversation starter for your team when we're looking at 
inclusive communication and what that can look like as we are having these conversations 
about Health Equity. 
Recently there was a Racial Justice Competency Model that was published for public 
health, and this may also be useful for those in the medical laboratory workforce as well. 
So I would say it's not just exclusive to that, but take it again as a resource and 
opportunity to see what's happening in that space. 
Even National Academies has some great resources, some great videos even when it 
comes to the conversation of DEI, but also Health Equity. And then CMS, 
if you're not familiar with their framework for Health Equity, I definitely would 
encourage you to take a look at that as that can help shape and inform the work that you're 
doing within your respective organization. 
And CMS does actually have a Health Equity conference coming up too. 
So that's something that you may want to explore or consider whether it's the virtual or 
in-person opportunity. 
So, to summarize, this talk is just a good opportunity just to look at as a workforce what 
we need to do when it comes to reimagining what DEIAB can look like for us, but also how we 
can potentially act upon integrating this into the work that we do, especially with that goal of 
helping or contributing to the advancement of Health Equity. 
This is work we're already doing, but now we're being more intentional about it and 
saying how we are effectively contributing to advancing Health Equity and mitigating or 
decreasing healthcare disparities, Recognizing that creating an inclusive work environment is an 
ongoing developmental process and it is an ongoing process. 
We can't just implement one thing and say we fixed it. 
It's going to be continual or continuous. 
And so being inclusive of the individuals that are involved, but also looking out again 
externally to see what other professional organizations may be doing, committing to building 
awareness, to increasing visibility, but also increasing our understanding when it comes to 
workforce diversity. 
And ultimately when it comes to acting and being intentional, developing that plan for 
implementing DEIAB into our work and integrating those not just evidence-based practices, but 
what's been determined as best practice because by employing those we're actually doing that 
tremendous work of improving the quality of lives and the quality of health and well-being for 
our patients and communities. 
So, with that, those are my references. 
I thank you all again for this opportunity just to share. 
I know it's a lot of information, but I hope it was helpful in the sense of resources and 
materials. 
And now I will transition back to Dr. Branch for our Q&A. 
Thank you, Dana. 
We'll take a few minutes to answer as many questions as possible. 
If we do not get to answer your question today, we'll do our best to respond via email 
and if your question was not submitted anonymously. 
If you have any questions after today, please just email the One Lab inbox at 
OneLab@cdc.gov. So let's get started. 
We have a few questions. 
Elaine, I think this will probably help everyone. 
Given that some institutions may work in states that have proposed or passed recent 
anti DEIA legislation, how can organizations or not address DEIA in the workplace? 
Yeah, thank you for that. 
That's really important, especially given our current climate right now when it comes to 
laws that are being or bills that are being proposed and laws that are being enacted. 
When it comes to this,  I would suggest initially to seek out your legal team or your legal 
representation at your organization just to receive added guidance toward what does that 
mean or what's the impact on us as an organization or on or even just the verbiage that we're 
using when it comes to this work? 
I know some organizations have I would say shifted towards using a different set of 
terminology when they are having this discussion around DEIAB or they really just enhance 
their focus to say you know, well we're focusing on advancing Health Equity and that ties into 
what's happening at not just at a local level, but on a national level. 
When we talk about advancing Health Equity and connecting that to the work that 
organizations such as like CMS, what they're doing, and how does that also connect with 
healthcare disparities? 
So, they've kind of captured those spaces. 
But initially I would say definitely consult with your legal team and possibly even seek 
out the work that's happening in other professional organizations where they do have advocacy 
groups or groups that work with policymakers. 
So that way you're also getting that up-to-date and credible information regarding the 
legislature in your state. 
Great, Let's see this one. 
I think this is a pretty good one. 
Do you feel that monitoring the medical and public health laboratory workforce is 
adequate using current practices? 
If not, what is the biggest gap you see to strengthen our ability for external advocacy? 
That's a good question. 
I don't think we have just one big gap. 
I think we there's a couple of opportunities especially the thing that stands out the most 
to me is our workforce shortage and how can we increase not just the overall number of 
individuals coming into the workforce but also increase the diversity of those individuals 
entering the workforce? 
Because I think that will help us with just gathering more ideas and suggestions for how 
we can increase our visibility and increase awareness of that work. 
But also, that's on us that are in the field already to help contribute to that increased 
visibility. 
I know I if I look at early on in my career, I was really focused on showing up in the lab, 
doing my job, and going home. Go home, 
That's it. 
And there's nothing wrong with that because I know we're putting in long hours. 
It’s hard work. 
It is. 
And especially if you were like me doing second and third shift, that's literally what you 
did. 
Your life revolved around just being able to show up to the lab, doing your job and doing 
it with quality and accuracy, and going home and sleeping until your next shift starts. 
But at some point, in that journey, I had to say, you know, I I know I'm passionate when 
it comes to not just increase, we need more people. 
I need more team members, but also, I need to increase the representation of our 
workforce that is more reflective of our communities. 
How, are we expanding information or just awareness about our workforce and not just 
to the high-performing school districts but to those that may be lesser performing school 
districts and so just being more inclusive of those other communities because every community 
needs lab services. 
We, all utilize it. 
So how do we also connect better with those communities to bring them into the fold 
and help us address these barriers and challenges that we have when it comes to DEIAB but 
also the work of our laboratory workforce. 
And so, I see that there are a couple of different opportunities that we can go and some 
of that is going to take some of us coming out of the walls of the lab a little bit more and 
bringing more people in and just kind of tooting our horns, but also increasing the visibility of 
the work that's happening within our field. 
And did I answer that question? I want to make sure I answered it. 
I think this is one that probably every person who's worked in the lab has asked. Was 
there any observation or information on laboratory representation on management team I I'm 
assuming they're talking about how management doesn't really change in the laboratory. 
You know, people kind of just stay there forever if they do and that the management 
teams just, they're just there for several years and there's no advancement. 
So, I think that that's kind of what they're maybe talking about, right? 
And I'm going to kind of turn that into what other opportunities makes us to be able to 
develop even as a leader, 
if you if you don't mind me pivoting it a little bit in that direction, because I've worked in 
labs where that was the case, where the lab team was that leadership team for years, even in 
some cases decades. 
And so that was the established, I would say structure and being one of those that was 
really wanting to grow as a leader and just wanting to grow my skill set, that's where 
volunteering and professional organizations really helped me. 
And I'm not saying that as just an employee within a professional association or being in. 
I'm very active in professional organizations for that reason. 
That's where I really gained a lot of my leadership skills and leadership experience. 
So being able to start as a volunteer and at one level, but being asked to chair a 
committee or lead a council or be a part of a board of directors even, like   
it was constantly evolving to where I then realized the skills  
I'm gaining here are actually transferable to my day-to-day work. 
And so that's where if you're feeling like there's a ceiling there or a cap there for you, let 
me encourage you that there are other opportunities that I know it's going to feel additional to 
the work that you do every day. 
But it didn't feel like a burden or extra. 
It felt like, oh, I can breathe, like I can show up to work not as frustrated. 
And I have an outlet for or a space where I could gain that skill set, that I could still kind 
of practice what I'm gaining here and implement that into my everyday work until that 
opportunity does arrive where I can actually then transition into a leadership role. 
So that's that has been my journey. 
And so that's something that I would advise that don't let that feel like that, that you're 
now limited, that there are other ways to also gain that experience. 
Great. Let's see. 
This is a good one. 
Do your initiatives include measures to help with diversity in rural areas? 
That's something. 
So even if I were to speak to like the programmatic work that even I do with academic 
partnerships and looking at how do we promote these opportunities for public health 
laboratory internships and fellowships where we're also mindful of that dimension of diversity 
when it comes to geographical location? 
And so definitely looking at how rural versus urban are also included into that. 
And we do essentially monitor for that and track for that and seek out those 
opportunities to not only, if I think of areas that I've visited for even career fairs to promote 
opportunities, 
everything hasn't been big cities. 
There's been a fly in to an airport, drive out an hour or two hours and promote at this 
smaller location or smaller entity. 
It doesn't mean that that they're lesser valued. 
We value those smaller communities and those rural areas just as much as we value our 
larger or bigger cities as well, 'cause again, that's being inclusive and ensuring that we're more 
representative of the communities that are being served. 
Great. 
Let me see this. 
Oh, this is a good one. 
Does diversity also include those with mental health challenges? 
Absolutely. 
I don’t even hesitate on that. 
Absolutely. 
That is that I would actually consider as really a primary dimension because that's also 
going to, 
and I say this because when I think of individuals and I have some that are very close to 
me that have expressed similar barriers when it comes to not just mental capacity, mental well
being, or even disabilities associated with you know, neurodiversive disorders or so forth. 
There's more work that we need to do in that space to be more inclusive of that. 
And it really speaks to me just even having loved ones and immediate family members 
where we can go into spaces, more spaces now where there may be a quiet room or 
conferences that are mindful of that aspect of diversity as well when they are doing their 
conference planning or annual meeting planning. 
And there's still opportunities for us. 
I'm not going to say we're at, where we need to be with that across the board, but there 
are definitely opportunities for us to improve and get stronger and be more inclusive when it 
comes to that. 
So yes, absolutely, hands down. 
Well, this will lead me into my final question. 
Do you have any recommendations for professional development activities that people 
may consider increasing their knowledge about DEIAB? 
So, as I mentioned during the talk, I decided to pursue a certificate in DEI, so I actually 
did that through Cornell University. 
But that's not the only institution that offers that program. 
There are a number of really good institutions and programs that do offer certificates in 
DEI. 
So, I would definitely encourage people just to do their own research and 
look at the curriculum itself to see if it aligns with your areas of interest and even 
looking at the duration of it. 
Pricing of course is always important too. 
So, always take that into consideration when you're looking at even your employer 
benefits. 
If there's an offering for professional development, I'm a firm believer in utilizing that 
benefit and I even encourage my team to use that benefit. 
So, if that can somehow contribute towards the cost of your professional development, I 
definitely encourage that. 
And of course, attending conferences, as I mentioned, the CMS Health Equity 
conference that's coming up soon, but there's other conferences that may have a DEI track or 
have specific workshops and training as a part of their conference offering. 
So, definitely look into those opportunities and everything's not in person 
now. Completely leverage the virtual opportunities that are happening too, because I 
get that especially as laboratory professionals, we can't always get that time off or that time 
away from the lab. 
And so, if there is an opportunity to even connect with a local or regional group that is 
hosting a session or an event, even if it's just one presentation, that's one presentation that 
you're adding to your bill. 
So, I consider that all professional development whether you're sitting in a course, 
virtually attending a course, or showing up for a talk or a presentation on it. 
Thank you so much, Dana, and  
I hope that everyone enjoyed learning about DEIAB. 
So, I will proceed to the next session. 
Thank you so much. 
Thank you.