According to the Society for Human Resource Management, diversity is: “A broad definition of diversity ranges from personality and work style to all visible dimensions of diversity such as race, age, ethnicity or gender, to secondary influences such as religion, socioeconomics and education, to workplace diversity such as management and union, functional level and classification or proximity/distance from headquarters”. Diversity is an important factor we aim for in many occupations around the world, but healthcare is one of the leading professions that is becoming increasingly more diverse. Not only does it have many positive effects, but it provides patients and providers with a sense of mutual respect. Patients may have a nurse or occupational therapists who understand where they are coming from. They may have the same morals or be in a similar situation as the patient, so they will be able to relate to the patient and understand them in difficult times. More and more companies are connecting diversity to their workforce. Therefore they are able to have a more successful business due to the many changes they are making to meet each individual's needs. Diversity in healthcare is becoming increasingly important in the United States. Healthcare is one of the fields of study that has one of the highest rates of cultural diversity. It's so important that it's a very diverse field, because there are so many types of people. Not only are there many people who have different needs, but they are of different ages, races, genders, and have different beliefs. Many people believe that it is essential to have a lot of diversity in order to interact with patients. The interaction between the patient...... middle of paper...... (2008). Why cultural competence matters in healthcare organizations. In CEO Refresher.brain food for business.Lee, W.K., Wong, V., & Judd, N. (2010, May). Promote diversity of healthcare personnel. Hawaii Medical Journal, 69(5), 130-131. Marra, J., Covassin, T., Shingles, R. R., Canady, R. B., & Mackowiak, T. (2010). Evaluating certified athletic trainers' levels of cultural competence in health care delivery. Journal of Athletic Training, 45(5), 380-385. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-45.4.380.Salisbury, J., & Byrd, S. (n.d.). Why diversity matters in healthcare. In the CSA Bulletin. Spinks, N., & Moore, C. (2007). Nursing leadership. The evolution of the workforce, the workplace and the nature of work: implications for human resource management in healthcare, 20(3), 26-41. Diversity in the workplace: Harnessing the power of difference for competitive advantage. (2005). HRMagazine