Strategies for diversifying senior leadership in healthcare management

Even though more healthcare organizations are recognizing the importance of a diverse labor force, racial/ethnic minorities and women are still underrepresented at the senior leadership levels. Mentoring has been identified as a key strategy for career advancement; however, these groups have been at a disadvantage in obtaining coaching from senior leaders because of the lack of available executives from the same background and the reluctance of white male executives to bridge the gap. This paper employs quantitative and qualitative methods in order to develop strategies for obtaining mentoring for females and people of color. Among the strategies introduced for healthcare organizations is a healthcare management success model, which combines the protégés' talent with networking and formal mentoring opportunities.