Regional One Health CEO Dr. Reginald Coopwood makes diversity a priority at all levels of his health care team.
Regional One Health CEO Reginald Coopwood, MD recently spoke to The Daily Memphian about the importance of diversity in the workplace. Here at Regional One Health, it’s something Dr. Coopwood doesn’t just talk about. It’s something he lives.
At Regional One Health, the 10-person leadership team includes five females, four of whom are African-American. Dr. Coopwood says Regional One Health’s impressive diversity happens organically, rather than through checking off a box, and it comes from the top down.
“We wanted a robust slice of the different diverse views,” Dr. Coopwood said.
“I can easily lead an organization where everyone looks like me in leadership,” Dr. Coopwood said. “But if you do that, you miss out on the various diverse views and diverse experiences in trying to run an organization that serves a very diverse population. We wanted a robust slice of the different diverse views.”
Dr. Coopwood said organizations are simply better when they reflect the community they serve, so every recruitment process at Regional One Health starts with a diverse pool of the best candidates. “We’re in the service industry, and we’re servicing a very diverse population,” he said. “I can tell you as a CEO, I know it’s valuable to have those voices around the table to make sure that for the populations we serve, there are people at Regional One Health who culturally understand them from many different aspects.”