Abstract

Given the rapidly changing demographics of the Unites States population, the diversification of the health care workforce is essential for providing all residents with culturally and linguistically appropriate care. Community health centers (CHCs) play a critical role in the provision of health care to the most needy U.S. residents, and their patient populations typically include multiple ethnic minority groups as well as new immigrants. As such, CHCs are not only particularly aware of the challenges inherent in developing and managing a diverse workforce that reflects those they serve, but they have also developed many promising practices to overcome these challenges. In the process of documenting these challenges and best practices in a sample of Massachusetts CHCs a number of valuable insights emerged which we present herein. Specifically, we suggest six propositions, grounded in a social ecological framework, to guide future research endeavors aimed at further understanding the intricate diversity dynamics in the health care workforce.