Boston Disparities Project: Programs to Diversify the Health Care Workforce

Background: The Boston Disparities Project (Project) was developed by the Boston Public Health Commission and Mayor Thomas M. Menino to address the key social determinants that lead to worse health outcomes for Boston's residents of color. The Project has granted over $2 million to more than 100 community organizations to work towards achieving this goal. The Project is innovative in that it recognizes many elements, from environmental and social, to economic and academic, factor into health inequities.

Methods: One of the key determinants leading to health and health care disparities is the under representation of minority groups among health professionals. We recognize that in order to address differences in healthcare quality and health outcomes, we need a diverse healthcare workforce. Therefore, the Project supported two innovative programs, the “Students Taking Action for Nursing Diversity” (STAND) and the “Careers in Urban Nursing” (CAN) Programs that bridge Boston Public High School students of color with a health career path.

Results: In three years, 270 students of color were enrolled in a nursing program through the STAND and the CAN programs. The average completion rate for both programs was above 70% with 73% of those completing, entering a health care program at any college upon completion of the STAND and the CAN programs. After three years, these projects have concrete, positive results that can be replicated as well as key lessons learned related to institutionalization, coordination, attendance, mentoring, and sustainability within such programs.

Conclusions: We hope to share practical approaches to creating innovative programs to encourage underrepresented minority youth into the nursing profession and to illustrate how workforce diversity can be used as a strategy to eliminate health and health care disparities.