Forbes ranks UI Health Care among ‘Best Employers for Diversity’

University of Iowa Health Care has been named one of the nation’s top employers for diversity by Forbes magazine.

In its 2019 rankings of “Best Employers for Diversity,” Forbes ranked UI Health Care No. 24 overall among 500 large employers nationwide and No. 2 in its Healthcare & Social category.

“Recognizing the rich diversity of our employees and fostering a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive plays such an important part in how we fulfill our mission of education, research, and patient care and service,” says Brooks Jackson, MD, MBA, UI Vice President for Medical Affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. “To be included in this Forbes ranking is a distinction for which we all can be very proud.”

To compile the rankings, Forbes collaborated with the research firm Statista to survey more than 50,000 U.S. employees working for companies or organizations with at least 1,000 employees. 

The surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions, according to Forbes. Respondents were first asked to rate their organizations on criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation equality, as well as that of general diversity. These responses were reviewed for potential diversity gaps. So, if workers from minority groups, for example, rated an organization poorly on diversity, but nonminority groups rated it highly, Statista would take that into account and adjust the company’s score accordingly. 

Statista then asked respondents belonging to minority groups to nominate organizations other than their own. The final list ranks the 500 employers—across 25 industry sectors—that not only received the most recommendations, but also boast the most diverse boards and executive ranks and the most proactive diversity and inclusion initiatives.

“To be ranked among the nation’s largest employers, and especially among all health care systems, for our commitment to diversity is a tremendous honor for UI Health Care,” says David Moser, PhD, interim associate dean for cultural affairs and diversity initiatives in the UI Carver College of Medicine. “It is recognition that reflects the efforts of many people across our organization to create an environment where people feel welcome and valued.”

Last year, in its inaugural diversity rankings, Forbes named UI Health Care the No. 1 employer in the health care industry, and No. 16 among all industries. Forbes also ranked UI Health Care the No. 7 employer in the health care industry and No. 48 among all industries in its 2018 rankings of America’s Best Employers.