Knittel Ansa, CPO, is co-owner and lead clinician at Aspire Prosthetics & Orthotics in York, Pennsylvania. Connecting and building a relationship is an essential ingredient in generating successful outcomes for patients, and many experts note that having employees from varied backgrounds and experiences helps bolster practitioner-patient relationships.
Rory Cooper, PhD
“It is easier to establish rapport if there is some personal experience that creates a bridge between the provider and the patient,” says Rory Cooper, PhD, director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories at the University of Pittsburgh, and a professor in the bioengineering, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and orthopedic surgery departments at the university. Cooper also holds the position of associate dean for inclusion in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. “Providers need to be culturally competent and be representative of the patient population in order to provide optimal care.” In addition, staff from different 32
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backgrounds and experiences provide unique insight into patient care. “When you create an inclusive environment for people with diverse backgrounds, thinking styles, communication styles, and experiences, innovation occurs,” Lodyga-Uhl explains. “Our patients benefit from a broader range of skills, experience, and perspective, which better address their unique and individual needs.” Angela Ansa, president of Aspire Prosthetics & Orthotics in York, Pennsylvania, agrees that having a diverse staff adds to her company’s ability to address patients’ needs in unique ways. Her husband Knittel Ansa, CPO, who is African-American, serves as the practice’s lead clinician and often is the first minority clinician their clients have ever visited. But his life experience and background in engineering help him offer creative solutions. “He is really able to take a different approach to the patient care and treatment,” she says. “They are blown away by his skill set and what he can bring to the table.”
Strategic Hiring
Recruiting diverse staff in York, a small town in southern Pennsylvania where Aspire P&O is located, comes
with challenges that businesses like Dynamics or Hanger do not face. Even though the company has African-American, Asian-American, and female employees on staff, the facility has not yet been able to hire a Spanish-speaking employee. A staffing agency will connect them to people possibly willing to relocate to a small town, but finding an appropriately qualified candidate in the rural area remains challenging. “We make sure we hire to represent our patients,” Ansa says. “Having diversity is key, and we are very cognizant of that.” The facility tries to be flexible in scheduling to encourage diverse job applicants. Aspire P&O allows employees to work from home in some circumstances, and offers a flexible start-time so parents can arrive at work after sending their children to school, for example. But creating an inclusive workplace requires foresight and planning. “It is very important to be deliberative,” Ansa says. “We really embody that full diversity.”
Angela Ansa
Hanger and Dynamics O&P also offer flexible schedules to help accommodate their employees’ needs. And some companies have programs in place to help employees who are struggling with significant student debt. This can be a huge help to minority staff and employees with disabilities, who may face greater financial burden when it comes to higher education. Of course, hiring decisions must be based on whether candidates are both qualified and a good fit for a company’s culture. When Ansa hires, she doesn’t simply look at age, race, ethnic background, gender, ability, or sexual orientation. Rather, she first determines whether employees match Aspire’s six values: accountability, service, perseverance, integrity, respect, and excellence.