ABSTRACT
In the Spring of 2020, protective services for the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC) Campus began a year-long transition process from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department to the Wauwatosa Police Department (WPD). This transition occurred during a time of focused local and national discourse regarding policing in diverse community settings. In response, the MRMC leadership formed the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee for the Transition of Protective Services (AATOPS). Over the course of six months, AATOPS members conducted site visits, developed a training manual, and divided into subcommittees to establish recommendations and key performance indicators in four primary areas: 1) Diversity and Inclusion of the WPD; 2) Psychological Evaluation of WPD Officers; 3) Use and De-Escalation of Force within the WPD; and 4) Communicating the Imminent Transition of Protective Services to MRMC organization employees, faculty, students, trainees, and patients. In this paper, we detail the process of organizing an accountable and collaborative approach to police and medical and academic campus relationships. At the end of the transition period, both the WPD and MRMC expressed commitment to a continued partnership to ensure the safety and security of all on the MRMC campus.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To produce a physician and scientific workforce that advances high-quality research and culturally competent care, academic medical centers (AMCs) must assess their capacity for diversity and inclusion and leverage opportunities for improvement. The Diversity Engagement Survey (DES) is presented as a diagnostic and benchmarking tool. METHOD: The 22-item DES consists of eight factors that connect engagement theory to inclusion and diversity constructs. It was piloted at 1 AMC and then administered at 13 additional U.S. AMCs in 2011-2012. Face and content validity were assessed through a review panel. Cronbach alpha was used to assess internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to establish construct validity. Cluster analysis was conducted to establish ability of the DES to distinguish between institutions' degrees of engagement and inclusion. Criterion validity was established using observed differences in scores for demographic groups as suggested by the literature. RESULTS: The sample included 13,694 respondents across 14 AMCs. Cronbach alphas for the engagement and inclusion factors (range: 0.68-0.85), CFA fit indices, and item correlations with latent constructs indicated an acceptable model fit and that items measured the intended concepts. Cluster analysis of DES scores distinguished institutions with higher, middle, and lower degrees of engagement and inclusion by their respondents. Consistent with the literature, black, Hispanic/Latino, female, and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) respondents reported lower degrees of engagement than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: The DES is a reliable and valid instrument for assessment, evaluation, and external benchmarking of institutional engagement and inclusion.
