Diversity Training at DSI
Developing Respect and Understanding

The Company
Dr. Saponaro has created the Jupiter Preventive Internal Medicine Center, herein referred to as the "Company" or "DSI." The Company is dedicated to providing high quality medical care to a limited number of people via two distinct branches:

1. DSI (Drug Study Institute) which enrolls research subject volunteers in experimental drug studies.
2. CCC (Concierge Care Club) which provides a similar high end experience at a retainer fee of $2000.00 per year.

Objectives of this Training

1. State the definition of Culture
2. Explain the term Acculturation and Cultural Relativity
3. Describe how intolerance, discrimination, and harassment can affect the work place.
4. Define the DSI culture, its provisions and expectations.

Culture
Definition: Culture is a shared set of belief systems, values, practices and assumptions, which determine how we interact with and interpret the world. Culture, however, is not the same as "race" or "ethnicity."

Race is defined as, "a logical geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics" (Webster's II New College Dictionary, 1999). Ethnicity or "ethnic," on the other hand, is understood as, "relating to a religious, racial, national or cultural group" (Webster’s II New College Dictionary, 1999). Thus, while "race" is a biologically determined category, and ethnicity addresses the characteristics of a "nationality," culture addresses how these groups think about the world, how they act, and how they structure their lives.

In fact, the term "culture" can be applied to more than just racial or ethnic groups, it can also refer to religious, regional, institutional, or even "special interest" groups (e.g. gay/lesbian, military, hospital, and academic cultures).

Therefore, other systems also have values, practices and assumptions, which determine how they interact and work in the world. Companies, corporations, organizations and groups have a culture of their own. DSI (Drug Study Institute) has its own culture as well.

Culture is engrained from birth and is transmitted from one generation to another through socialization, language, rituals, religion and of shared experiences. It provides a familiar and community blueprint that is mutually understood and practiced. Culture defines the purpose, function and security entrusted to and endured by its members (White, 1959). Overall, culture provides the framework for how groups understand the world and their experiences, and creates structure to the meaning of life events; individuals establish their "core values" within their culture.

Acculturation
Definition: Acculturation is a process in which members of one cultural group adopt the beliefs and behaviors of another group. It is a process of becoming bilingual and bicultural. It is a dynamic process that moves along a continuum.

Although culture, as a whole, is dynamic and continuously changing, many aspects of culture are stable over time. Dominant and central cultural values, for example, do not change as quickly or readily as superficial ones. Foreign immigrants who take up residence in the United States illustrate this point. The may change superficial aspects of their culture by wearing western attire or speaking English; however, the dominant aspects of religion, beliefs, family roles, and expected health care needs usually remain the same. Thus, aspects of culture can change and adapt to specific conditions and environmental forces; however, central beliefs and values, also referred to as "core values" remain consistent over time.

Cultural Relativity
Cultural relativity means that any behavior must be judged first in relation to the culture in which it occurs. Oftentimes, people's behavior can seem very strange until you put it into context of their own culture; then, suddenly, it seems perfectly reasonable.

Although cultural characteristics differ between groups, all cultures address many of the central aspects of human life. Perhaps one culture speaks English, another Spanish, and yet another Japanese. Although these are cultural differences on one hand, they are also ways of communicating systems, rules of conduct, and explanations for aspects of life within one group or the other.

Intolerance
Intolerance is the lack of ability or willingness to tolerate something. Common forms of intolerance include: racism; sexism; anti-gay hate speech, ageism (a prejudice in society against older adults), religious intolerance, various forms of societal intolerance and intolerance of differing political views. However, it is not limited to these forms. One can be intolerant of any ideas or anyone. Intolerance is based upon prejudice and can lead to discrimination.

Discrimination
The word discrimination comes from the Latin "discriminare," which means to "distinguish between." Discrimination is more than distinction, it is action based on prejudice resulting in unfair treatment of people. To discriminate socially is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. Examples of social discrimination include: racial; religious; sexual; sexual orientation; disability; ethnic; height-related; and age-related discrimination. It also includes status and language.

Prejudice
Prejudice is, as the name implies, the process of "pre-judging" something. It implies making a judgment on a subject before learning where the preponderance of evidence actually lies, or forming a judgment without direct experience.

Harassment
Harassment refers to a wide spectrum of offensive behavior. When the term is used in a legal sense, it refers to behaviors that are found threatening or disturbing, and beyond those that are sanctioned by society.

Types of Harassments:

1. Bullying: Harassment that can occur on the playground, school, in the workforce or any other place. Usually physically and psychologically harassing behavior perpetrated against an individual, by one or more persons.
2. Gang Stalking: This is a psychological attack that can completely destroy a person's life while leaving little or no trace to identify the perpetrators. It is a combination of organized harassment and mobbing except that it takes place in the community and targets are stalked and harassed 24/7 by citizen gangs. This can also occur in the workplace when a group "gangs" up against one person in the group.
3. Psychological Harassment: This is a humiliating or abusive behavior that lowers a person's self-esteem or causes them torment. This can take the form of verbal comments, actions or gestures. Falling into this category are harassments such as workplace mobbing and gang stalking which is a form of community mobbing and organized stalking combined.
4. Racial Harassment: The targeting of an individual because of his/her race or ethnicity. These harassments include: words; deeds; and actions that are specifically designed to make the target feel degraded due to race or ethnicity.
5. Religious Harassment: Verbal, psychological or physical harassments used against targets because they choose to practice a specific religion.
6. Sexual Harassment: Harassment that can happen anywhere but most common in the workplace and schools. It involves unwanted and unwelcome words, deeds, actions, gestures, symbols or behaviors of a sexual nature that make the target feel uncomfortable. Gender and sexual orientation harassment fall into this family.
7. Stalking: The unauthorized following and surveillance of an individual to the extent that the persons privacy is unacceptably intruded upon; frequently the victim fears for their safety.
8. Street Harassment: This is a harassment that happens out in the public or while walking down the street. It also involves lewd and unwelcome words, deeds and actions.
9. Language Harassment: Language discrimination means treating individuals differently because of their native language or other characteristics of speech, such as an accent.

Language and Communication
Recognize that anger can result from not understanding or not being understood. When we can't communicate and find it difficult to get our messages across, we feel our control is slipping away. The less control we feel, the greater our frustration and stress. Such frustration is generally directed toward those who do not understand.

Recognize Assumptions That Get Us Into Trouble
When others speak languages in the workplace other than English (both co-workers and clients) and you do not understand that language; you may assume:

1. They are talking about me.
2. They don't want to learn English.
3. They know English; they just do not want to use it.
4. They are not talking to me because they just do not respect me.

If you speak another language at work besides English; don't assume:

1. People do not get offended or mind if you speak your native language; as some do.
2. That speaking your language does not interfere with work; as it could, especially when dealing with patients and their families. That might be detrimental to our patients.

Everyone should try to be sensitive of other people's feelings. Americans also are continually going through an acculturation process of fully embracing all immigrants.

Intolerance, discrimination and harassment can have a big cost:

1. Lower productivity
2. Loss of customers
3. Expensive lawsuits
4. Lost raises, promotions and jobs

Behaviors that are considered harassment or intolerance might surprise you, and include:

• It could be a joke or making jokes about others' backgrounds.
• It could be a picture.
• It could be trying to convince someone that they need to believe what you believe.
• It could be trying to convince someone to vote the way you vote.
• It could be listening to music co-workers find offensive.
• It could be harassing someone because you think they are too young or too old.
• It could be discussing a co-worker's personal life with others.
• Using demeaning or derogatory slurs relating to group identity.
• Responding to behavior or situations differently because of race, gender or sexual identity.
• Imitating stereotypical speech or mannerisms.
• Saying "English only" to an immigrant co-worker whose native language is not English.

DSI Culture
Drug Study Institute (DSI) is a primary care investigative research site dedicated to Quality Investigational New Drug Study. We involve our patients in a drug study as research subject volunteers. We promote access to tomorrow's wonder drugs (pharmaceuticals) today (before the FDA grants approval) in an atmosphere that maximizes benefits and comfort. Patients frequently come back to volunteer as research subjects many times over, telling us they experienced a level of care that's unprecedented. In addition, our patients learn a lot about their disease process and feel they can deal with future healthcare issues better now that they're equipped with the power of knowledge. The word doctore in Latin means "teacher." It is our goal to teach patients enough medicine to empower them to make improved healthcare decisions.

CCC Culture
Our CCC (Concierge Care Club) was created by Dr. Saponaro and his JPMC (Jupiter Preventive Medicine Center) staff to pamper you and provide enhanced personalized healthcare to a special elite group of patients who demand more from their Doctor. As a CCC member, you will finally have a Doctor you will enjoy and receive a higher level of preventive and complementary world class care based upon early detection and wellness preservation/enhancing programs. Come feel at home in our office. Also, as a CCC member, you will enjoy expanded access to Dr. Saponaro and the entire JPMC team.

Our Vision

1. To improve the health and wellbeing for an exclusive select few through high-end medical care with our DSI (Drug Study Institute) and CCC Concierge Care Club).
2. Provide better medical care than traditionally provided by our colleagues with our low volume high service products.
3. Make every patient walk away happy telling all their friends and family what a unique experience they had at DSI/CCC.
4. Treat every patient as we would treat our own family.
5. To help teach future medical researchers and raise the bar of medical research.

Our Slogan
"We Master the Details."

Provisions and Expectations

Human Resources Policy:

1. DSI believes that all people are entitled to equal opportunities and does not discriminate against its employees or applicants for employment because of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, and marital status, status as a military veteran or sexual orientation.
2. DSI does not condone sexual or other unlawful harassment of employees, and will take immediate action whenever this kind of incident is reported.
3. Acts or threats of physical violence, including intimidation, harassment, and/or coercion, that involve or affect DSI or that occur on Company property or in the conduct of Company business off company property are strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.

Your Path To A Better Understanding

1. Understand the acculturation process.
2. Do not assume or generalize about people.
3. Observe without judgment.
4. Spend time with those of other cultures.
5. If you think you know about harassment and discrimination, think again.
6. Remember what you can do and say on the job is not the same as what you can do and say off the job.
7. Be professional!
8. Think before you act.
9. Ask, "Is this going to offend someone?"
10. Ask, "Would I be treating a person differently because of age, sex, race, religion, etc....?"
11. If the answer is yes, do not do it.

What to do if you see someone else harassing or discriminating?
You must tell someone in authority! Specifically, communicate your concerns to: Dr. Saponaro, Melody and/or Smitha.
DSI wants to know what happens and have a chance to fix the situation. Anyone who reports a concern will not be punished or receive retribution. It's the only way to maintain a productive, positive workplace.

Diversity Pearls

DSI has its own culture; we are all in the process of acculturation.

We view our staff members' diversity as strength.

No one is perfect and we may mistakenly "step on someone's toes" by making an inappropriate comment. When we recognize our mistake, we apologize and do our best not to make that comment again.

We are free to have our own beliefs, when we come to work/DSI's policy is one of tolerance, respect and understanding towards others.

We must all try to "Play well together as we are all in the same sandbox."

Thank you for reviewing our Diversity Training/Developing Respect and understanding. If you have any questions, please contact: Dr. Saponaro, Melody or Smitha.

References

1. WorkPlaceFairness.org
2. Eeoc.Gov
3. USDOJ.Gov
4. M-W.com

You may now proceed to the quiz.