When we get down to the business of organizational transformation the road to success is difficult at best. If we desire for the principles of inclusion and cultural competence to be central to transformation the difficulty can be exacerbated.
Most people I know have some type of passion in life. This passion is coupled and/or often met with the energy of reason.
In the the classic book, The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, the speaker says about Reason and Passion:
"Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul. If either your sails or your rudder be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas. For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction."
Many of the people I have observed who are committed to this conversation about cultural competency and diversity are very passionate about it. In fact, they have been so passionate, that their reason has been "a flame that burns to its own destruction." Their passion has met with the reason of others and the reason has rationalized away the importance and intrinsic value of the passion.
Historically when a person passionate about diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency has had their ideas or budgets minimized, it has in many instances been the result of not doing the diligence of finding the passion(s) of others in the organization. As a result, when there is an opportunity to validate one idea vs. another, the result is often a cyclical resistance of one passion to protect another or to suppress a passion with reason because of a perceived imbalance.
I think we are at a crossroads in the evolution of business in this country and perhaps globally. The crossroads is one that lies between passion and reason. Often when there is a crossroads it means that we have to make a choice. The choice for most is seemingly dichotomous. But as Gibran reminds us:
"Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion, that it may sing; And let it direct your passion with reason, that your passion may live through its own daily resurrection, and like the phoenix rise above its own ashes."
So, as we enter into these discussions where a passion for diversity is met with a question about viability, a business case, ROI, a bottom line rationale for why what we do should be done--get excited! Get excited as we are able to meet the reason of one with the passion of another.
We are also able to discover the passions of others that we were potentially unable to discern because of our resistance to what we thought was their attempt to suppress our passion. The coupling of reason and passion allows us the space to create something that goes beyond the simplistic rift that we have historically created.
When we can understand our passions and use them as impetus for discovering the passions of others, reason when it arises is a gift. It can be seen as a balancing element of a chemical equation; an opportunity to validate something that could be transformational--the beginning of possibility.
Make it a great day!
Showing posts with label cultural competency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cultural competency. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Cultural Competence is a Strategy II
I doubt that strategy and struggle have a common Latin root.
What I don't doubt is that they go hand in hand if success is desired.
With any change process, there is resistance. In many instances the resistance can even exist amongst those who want to actually see the change move forward. They may fundamentally believe in the idea of transforming the way their organization gets healthcare (or whatever their business is) done; nonetheless, something they cannot fully understand about their thinking or approach leaves them with results that are less than desired.
Why does this happen? It happens because CHANGE DOESN'T WORK.
Let me explain using a device that I found quite fascinating when I first came across the ad that read: "Drop 2-3 dress sizes in less than 10 minutes." When I first read it and then saw the pictures and read the testimonials on the postcard that was left on my car one day, I began to wonder how long this 2-3 size drop lasted. I was compelled to learn more because I have read about a lot of diets from The Zone to the Master Cleanser, and none of them promised results in such a short period of time.
As some of you who watch Oprah probably know (of course it was on Oprah!), this device is not actually a diet. It is in fact a very efficient body compression, girdle-type device that apparently allows one to wrap themselves up thus compressing 2-3 sizes worth of "love handles or other handles" that one has, leaving them visibly thinner under their clothing.
I am not discounting this device, it has its place. It creates change and from the outside, if you saw a person with one of these compression devices on, you would naturally perceive them to appear a certain way. They may appreciate your perception as their intention was to present themselves in a particular light.
Now, the person wearing this device changed, but how long did that change actually last? What will be required to sustain that change?
The answer: it cannot be sustained. It can be repeated and it can be replicated, but it cannot be sustained because CHANGE DOESN'T WORK. It doesn't fail because we are not sincere about our desire to see lasting results. It doesn't fail because the intention is not sincere or carefully considered. Change doesn't work because as long as it is viewed as change it will be resisted and it will be changed again. Change is a tactic. Some tactics have longer-term success than others but in and of themselves, they fall short of creating results that are sustainable.
So, change is like the love handle compression device shared above. It is a tactic that creates the appearance of a desired result, but it is not the desired result because its not possible for it to be sustained. 10 minutes to decrease 2-3 dress sizes is akin to doing a 2 hr, 4hr, or two-day "diversity" or "cultural competency" training and expecting that the learning will be sustained and put into practice. I am not saying that it doesn't have a positive effect and given that we deliver training as one of our services, I recommend it. However, I am very clear that it is a tactic in an overall strategy that takes more time and more struggle.
Cultural Competence is a Strategy--it is an organizational development strategy. If it is framed as such (and aligned with your overall organizational quality strategy) it can be a transformational strategy. Transformation is sustainable as it implies that the process leads to a place where what your organization is doing tactically transcends the moment of implementation and speaks to practices becoming part of what I call your "Organizational Being". This is in contrast to "Organizational Doing" which speaks to something temporary and consciously or unconsciously viewed as marginal to success.
A solid cultural competence strategy takes struggling with current mindsets, norms, and a variety of other conversations that we have become accustomed to that require a shift of perspective to create quality healthcare delivered in a patient-centered, culturally competent manner.
Next time I will speak briefly on leading your cultural competence efforts strategically.
Make it a great day!
What I don't doubt is that they go hand in hand if success is desired.
With any change process, there is resistance. In many instances the resistance can even exist amongst those who want to actually see the change move forward. They may fundamentally believe in the idea of transforming the way their organization gets healthcare (or whatever their business is) done; nonetheless, something they cannot fully understand about their thinking or approach leaves them with results that are less than desired.
Why does this happen? It happens because CHANGE DOESN'T WORK.
Let me explain using a device that I found quite fascinating when I first came across the ad that read: "Drop 2-3 dress sizes in less than 10 minutes." When I first read it and then saw the pictures and read the testimonials on the postcard that was left on my car one day, I began to wonder how long this 2-3 size drop lasted. I was compelled to learn more because I have read about a lot of diets from The Zone to the Master Cleanser, and none of them promised results in such a short period of time.
As some of you who watch Oprah probably know (of course it was on Oprah!), this device is not actually a diet. It is in fact a very efficient body compression, girdle-type device that apparently allows one to wrap themselves up thus compressing 2-3 sizes worth of "love handles or other handles" that one has, leaving them visibly thinner under their clothing.
I am not discounting this device, it has its place. It creates change and from the outside, if you saw a person with one of these compression devices on, you would naturally perceive them to appear a certain way. They may appreciate your perception as their intention was to present themselves in a particular light.
Now, the person wearing this device changed, but how long did that change actually last? What will be required to sustain that change?
The answer: it cannot be sustained. It can be repeated and it can be replicated, but it cannot be sustained because CHANGE DOESN'T WORK. It doesn't fail because we are not sincere about our desire to see lasting results. It doesn't fail because the intention is not sincere or carefully considered. Change doesn't work because as long as it is viewed as change it will be resisted and it will be changed again. Change is a tactic. Some tactics have longer-term success than others but in and of themselves, they fall short of creating results that are sustainable.
So, change is like the love handle compression device shared above. It is a tactic that creates the appearance of a desired result, but it is not the desired result because its not possible for it to be sustained. 10 minutes to decrease 2-3 dress sizes is akin to doing a 2 hr, 4hr, or two-day "diversity" or "cultural competency" training and expecting that the learning will be sustained and put into practice. I am not saying that it doesn't have a positive effect and given that we deliver training as one of our services, I recommend it. However, I am very clear that it is a tactic in an overall strategy that takes more time and more struggle.
Cultural Competence is a Strategy--it is an organizational development strategy. If it is framed as such (and aligned with your overall organizational quality strategy) it can be a transformational strategy. Transformation is sustainable as it implies that the process leads to a place where what your organization is doing tactically transcends the moment of implementation and speaks to practices becoming part of what I call your "Organizational Being". This is in contrast to "Organizational Doing" which speaks to something temporary and consciously or unconsciously viewed as marginal to success.
A solid cultural competence strategy takes struggling with current mindsets, norms, and a variety of other conversations that we have become accustomed to that require a shift of perspective to create quality healthcare delivered in a patient-centered, culturally competent manner.
Next time I will speak briefly on leading your cultural competence efforts strategically.
Make it a great day!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Culture and Quality Part IV
A couple months ago (April 4) I began writing a series that I entitled Culture and Quality. As the conversation has evolved a new model has emerged. We have entitled it the: Diversity HealthWorks' Cultural Competence-Quality Framework for Healthcare Excellence.
The premise of the model is based on what we have seen over the past year in the diversity dialogue in all industries including healthcare: contraction and a general lack of cohesion about the future of what diversity and inclusion can be and/or needs to be in our corporations and organizations. We simply have not elevated the idea of diversity to that of a core business function that is unquestionable.
Now of course there are exceptions to this rule, but overwhelmingly, most people/companies frame diversity and inclusion as "causes" that they are committed to. Historically, the framing of what I call cause-oriented diversity and what it stands for have been absolutely necessary. To this day, this remains true. Nonetheless, herein lies the conundrum:
1. If diversity is more cause-oriented how does it line up next to other core business functions such as marketing, sales, fulfillment, and all related measures assessing core functions?
2. What if the "cause" of diversity is not held in at a steady level of urgency like other core business functions?
3. Since by their nature causes change--does diversity change or even potentially go away?
No matter how we answer these questions, and I am sure we could (and have) discuss each from different perspectives for days, the fact remains that if a cause-oriented diversity leaning is perceived as the norm, inevitably someone or some group can claim or feign that they are not accountable.
On the other hand, there is Quality. What about quality? Quality is. . .
--Unquestionable
--Valued
--Measurable
--Historical; and
--It is ALWAYS in the budget!
You will never hear any one say out loud that quality is something that is "nice to have but not a need to have". Quality is at the foundation of every organization in one capacity or another. Even if the ambition of delivering the "highest quality" of this, that, or the other is not yet realized, the ambition and possibility remain prevalent.
Healthcare is no exception. In fact, quality is at the core of how healthcare gets done. The President has made this very clear as the conversation about health reform has escalated. In virtually every address he has done around healthcare over the past 2-3 months he has talked about quality. On May 11th, in one of his speeches he said:
"I'm also committed to ensuring that whatever plan we design upholds three basic principles: First, the rising cost of health care must be brought down; second, Americans must have the freedom to keep whatever doctor and health care plan they have, or to choose a new doctor or health care plan if they want it; and third, all Americans must have quality, affordable health care."
This is a mandate that all of us can sign on to. Whether we are conservative or liberal, for or against universal healthcare, feel that healthcare is right or a privilege, quality, affordable, [accessible] care is something we can all agree is a priority.
So how does cultural competence fit in? Two answers:
1) Many hospital organizations have undergone culture change/quality initiatives driven by the likes of greats such as the StuderGroup or the work of Fred Lee (If Disney Ran Your Hospital). Some have had tremendous success, while others less so. Few have made culture change and competent culture evolution something they would consider embedded into how they do what they do each day or more so an ongoing discipline that is cultivated by leaders and cascaded down through the organization.
I hold that it is not because they don't want to. I fundamentally believe that it is because the culture change and quality efforts are not integrated with and inclusive of all of the facets of the organization. In particular many times the not included is the myriad diversity of employees, patients, families, and the greater community that make up WHO the hospital is as well as performs the functions of what it does.
So, I believe that there are cultures within culture change and that we have to develop and evolve our competence in these cultures within an organizational culture to assure continuous quality improvement.
2) We have created a model to discuss these dynamics and we want to share with you in a series of free web seminars. On July 1st and July 8th we will host two free web seminars to share the DHW Cultural Competence-Quality Framework for Healthcare Excellence.
The July 1, 2009 event will be for Diversity HealthWorks members only. If you register for this event and you are not a member of Diversity HealthWorks, you will not receive a confirmation link to the event. Membership however is free. So, if you are not yet a member and want to see a demo of the model and have the change to comment, Join Us.
The July 8, 2009 event is open to anyone interested. We look forward to seeing you on-line.
To register for the July 1, 2009 Free Web Seminar Click the Link Below:
DHW Cultural Competence-Quality Framework for Healthcare Excellence--July 1
To register for the July 8, 2009 Free Web Seminar Click the Link Below:
DHW Cultural Competence-Quality Framework for Healthcare Excellence--July 8
We hope to see you as we share this integrated framework with all who are interested.
Make it a great day!
The premise of the model is based on what we have seen over the past year in the diversity dialogue in all industries including healthcare: contraction and a general lack of cohesion about the future of what diversity and inclusion can be and/or needs to be in our corporations and organizations. We simply have not elevated the idea of diversity to that of a core business function that is unquestionable.
Now of course there are exceptions to this rule, but overwhelmingly, most people/companies frame diversity and inclusion as "causes" that they are committed to. Historically, the framing of what I call cause-oriented diversity and what it stands for have been absolutely necessary. To this day, this remains true. Nonetheless, herein lies the conundrum:
1. If diversity is more cause-oriented how does it line up next to other core business functions such as marketing, sales, fulfillment, and all related measures assessing core functions?
2. What if the "cause" of diversity is not held in at a steady level of urgency like other core business functions?
3. Since by their nature causes change--does diversity change or even potentially go away?
No matter how we answer these questions, and I am sure we could (and have) discuss each from different perspectives for days, the fact remains that if a cause-oriented diversity leaning is perceived as the norm, inevitably someone or some group can claim or feign that they are not accountable.
On the other hand, there is Quality. What about quality? Quality is. . .
--Unquestionable
--Valued
--Measurable
--Historical; and
--It is ALWAYS in the budget!
You will never hear any one say out loud that quality is something that is "nice to have but not a need to have". Quality is at the foundation of every organization in one capacity or another. Even if the ambition of delivering the "highest quality" of this, that, or the other is not yet realized, the ambition and possibility remain prevalent.
Healthcare is no exception. In fact, quality is at the core of how healthcare gets done. The President has made this very clear as the conversation about health reform has escalated. In virtually every address he has done around healthcare over the past 2-3 months he has talked about quality. On May 11th, in one of his speeches he said:
"I'm also committed to ensuring that whatever plan we design upholds three basic principles: First, the rising cost of health care must be brought down; second, Americans must have the freedom to keep whatever doctor and health care plan they have, or to choose a new doctor or health care plan if they want it; and third, all Americans must have quality, affordable health care."
This is a mandate that all of us can sign on to. Whether we are conservative or liberal, for or against universal healthcare, feel that healthcare is right or a privilege, quality, affordable, [accessible] care is something we can all agree is a priority.
So how does cultural competence fit in? Two answers:
1) Many hospital organizations have undergone culture change/quality initiatives driven by the likes of greats such as the StuderGroup or the work of Fred Lee (If Disney Ran Your Hospital). Some have had tremendous success, while others less so. Few have made culture change and competent culture evolution something they would consider embedded into how they do what they do each day or more so an ongoing discipline that is cultivated by leaders and cascaded down through the organization.
I hold that it is not because they don't want to. I fundamentally believe that it is because the culture change and quality efforts are not integrated with and inclusive of all of the facets of the organization. In particular many times the not included is the myriad diversity of employees, patients, families, and the greater community that make up WHO the hospital is as well as performs the functions of what it does.
So, I believe that there are cultures within culture change and that we have to develop and evolve our competence in these cultures within an organizational culture to assure continuous quality improvement.
2) We have created a model to discuss these dynamics and we want to share with you in a series of free web seminars. On July 1st and July 8th we will host two free web seminars to share the DHW Cultural Competence-Quality Framework for Healthcare Excellence.
The July 1, 2009 event will be for Diversity HealthWorks members only. If you register for this event and you are not a member of Diversity HealthWorks, you will not receive a confirmation link to the event. Membership however is free. So, if you are not yet a member and want to see a demo of the model and have the change to comment, Join Us.
The July 8, 2009 event is open to anyone interested. We look forward to seeing you on-line.
To register for the July 1, 2009 Free Web Seminar Click the Link Below:
DHW Cultural Competence-Quality Framework for Healthcare Excellence--July 1
To register for the July 8, 2009 Free Web Seminar Click the Link Below:
DHW Cultural Competence-Quality Framework for Healthcare Excellence--July 8
We hope to see you as we share this integrated framework with all who are interested.
Make it a great day!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Minority Politicians and Health Disparities: The Messenger, the Message
In 2002 the Institute of Medicine through the actions, concern and political will of the minority caucuses of the U.S. (primarily House Democrats)making a request to the National Academy of Sciences to create a comprehensive report (Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care) on ethnic and racial disparities that has become one of the definitive if not the most definitive report on health disparities that has ever been published.
The publications created a foundational conversation that, as I have shared before in other writings, politicized the issue and raised the level of the conversation. This has been a very good thing.
However, what has not happened is a moving of the health disparities conversation from a single-faceted issue to one that is central to the success of our healthcare system and to the overall success of health reform.
Quality accessible healthcare, cultural competency, eliminating disparities, workforce diversity, patient-centered care and many other aspects of what one would consider successful outcomes of healthcare organizational excellence are all necessary to consistently make successful outcomes a reality.
Now, more so, than perhaps any other period in recent history is time to align our message and enroll messengers to deliver it consistently.
So, on Monday(6/8)there was a flurry of activity in the media announcing that the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) sent President Obama a letter outlining their desire to assure that health disparities are a core issue in the health reform conversation. They had a meeting about this and subsequently, Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius published a report (I say a Brief) entitled Health Disparities: A Case for Closing the Gap that outlined some of the pertinent health disparities issues connoting a need for the issue to be addressed comprehensively as part of health reform. It was published on HealthReform.gov.
I agree with the need to focus, who wouldn't. However, I am concerned by two things in particular:
1) The Messenger. Health disparities is a very broad and complicated issue. Even though racial and ethnic disparities are very prevalent and have been central to the issue, what we are facing is much bigger. We are facing the dynamics of access combined with multiple populations that are vulnerable to adverse health outcomes regardless of accessibility of services and not because of their race or ethnicity.
HEALTH DISPARITIES IS AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS ALL AMERICANS.
So, my concern is that the messenger is generally minority. This is not a bad thing, someone has to say something. The challenge is that when the CBC and other minority caucuses are the predominant leaders in this conversation about how to make health disparities a part of the overall health reform agenda, the issue settles consciously or unconsciously in many of our minds as an issue that they are responsible for. An issue that is all about them.
By not consistently engaging and enrolling a variety of groups such as representatives from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans-gender communities, the disabled, veterans, non-minority women, and others we miss the opportunity to frame health disparities, health equity, and cultural competency as an issue that simultaneously is inclusive of and transcends "minorities". It is an issue that affects everyone living in the U.S. directly or indirectly.
2) The Message.
--What is framework for the health disparities conversation within the context of health reform?
--What does it need to be?
--As a health professional or other professional, if you believe that addressing health disparities, quality affordable/accessible care, cultural competence, patient-centered care are important: How do you articulate their interdependence? (more)
The publications created a foundational conversation that, as I have shared before in other writings, politicized the issue and raised the level of the conversation. This has been a very good thing.
However, what has not happened is a moving of the health disparities conversation from a single-faceted issue to one that is central to the success of our healthcare system and to the overall success of health reform.
Quality accessible healthcare, cultural competency, eliminating disparities, workforce diversity, patient-centered care and many other aspects of what one would consider successful outcomes of healthcare organizational excellence are all necessary to consistently make successful outcomes a reality.
Now, more so, than perhaps any other period in recent history is time to align our message and enroll messengers to deliver it consistently.
So, on Monday(6/8)there was a flurry of activity in the media announcing that the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) sent President Obama a letter outlining their desire to assure that health disparities are a core issue in the health reform conversation. They had a meeting about this and subsequently, Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius published a report (I say a Brief) entitled Health Disparities: A Case for Closing the Gap that outlined some of the pertinent health disparities issues connoting a need for the issue to be addressed comprehensively as part of health reform. It was published on HealthReform.gov.
I agree with the need to focus, who wouldn't. However, I am concerned by two things in particular:
1) The Messenger. Health disparities is a very broad and complicated issue. Even though racial and ethnic disparities are very prevalent and have been central to the issue, what we are facing is much bigger. We are facing the dynamics of access combined with multiple populations that are vulnerable to adverse health outcomes regardless of accessibility of services and not because of their race or ethnicity.
HEALTH DISPARITIES IS AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS ALL AMERICANS.
So, my concern is that the messenger is generally minority. This is not a bad thing, someone has to say something. The challenge is that when the CBC and other minority caucuses are the predominant leaders in this conversation about how to make health disparities a part of the overall health reform agenda, the issue settles consciously or unconsciously in many of our minds as an issue that they are responsible for. An issue that is all about them.
By not consistently engaging and enrolling a variety of groups such as representatives from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans-gender communities, the disabled, veterans, non-minority women, and others we miss the opportunity to frame health disparities, health equity, and cultural competency as an issue that simultaneously is inclusive of and transcends "minorities". It is an issue that affects everyone living in the U.S. directly or indirectly.
2) The Message.
--What is framework for the health disparities conversation within the context of health reform?
--What does it need to be?
--As a health professional or other professional, if you believe that addressing health disparities, quality affordable/accessible care, cultural competence, patient-centered care are important: How do you articulate their interdependence? (more)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
I Determine What is Relevant
Since May 11th and the President's remarks on May 11th about reforming the healthcare reform, I thought that I needed to write something in context about cultural competency and quality or at the least give my perspective on how health disparities have to be considered if we are going to make any sustainable change in healthcare as a whole.
I pondered what to write and even scratched out an outline of the points I wanted to make sure I explained thoroughly. After pondering and outlining and pondering some more, I realized that I needed more perspective. So, I began to read more blogs and opinions and tweets of those for universal coverage and those against what is being labeled as "socialized medicine".
The amount of information and disinformation and opinion is startling. I have a decent grasp of how the healthcare system works from point of care to process of payment and beyond. Yet, making sense of all the opinions about what health care reform must do, what it will create negatively and positively, to those who believe that the system is fine and that changing it will cause health plans to fail, to those "Good Americans" that simply want everyone to pay their way, is mind boggling to me. I cannot imagine what a person who has not been trained in these dynamics experiences when trying to connect the dots.
My conclusion is that "I determine what is relevant". Now, the "I" in this statement does include, I, Amri. It also includes you, reader. It also include you, pundit, politician, President, Peter, Paul, and Poppins, and potificatoblogwriterspindoctorsincerejournalistpeacemakerparent. (More)
I pondered what to write and even scratched out an outline of the points I wanted to make sure I explained thoroughly. After pondering and outlining and pondering some more, I realized that I needed more perspective. So, I began to read more blogs and opinions and tweets of those for universal coverage and those against what is being labeled as "socialized medicine".
The amount of information and disinformation and opinion is startling. I have a decent grasp of how the healthcare system works from point of care to process of payment and beyond. Yet, making sense of all the opinions about what health care reform must do, what it will create negatively and positively, to those who believe that the system is fine and that changing it will cause health plans to fail, to those "Good Americans" that simply want everyone to pay their way, is mind boggling to me. I cannot imagine what a person who has not been trained in these dynamics experiences when trying to connect the dots.
My conclusion is that "I determine what is relevant". Now, the "I" in this statement does include, I, Amri. It also includes you, reader. It also include you, pundit, politician, President, Peter, Paul, and Poppins, and potificatoblogwriterspindoctorsincerejournalistpeacemakerparent. (More)
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Culture and Quality Part III--10 Resources
In lieu of another article in this part, I decided that sharing resources that will help you frame culture and quality together would be valuable. While I intended to share these resources in the final quarter so to speak, I thought they would be helpful now.
By no means is this meant to be a definitive list. In fact, I welcome suggestions on what should be added to it that allows us to see the connections between cultural competency and quality more clearly. We want (continuing for some and beginning for others) to make this an integral part of our foundation for creating seamless connections of cultural competency, diversity, and inclusion with our collective organizational quality development, mission, and of course, for healthcare reform.
Culture and Quality: Joining the Levers (2002)
Dr. Mark D. Smith, MD, MBA, CEO of the California Healthcare Foundation clearly illustrates the movements of cultural competency and quality and their connection. He frames the presentation around “What are we going to do?” It is important to note that this was 2002 when Dr. Smith presented at the Third National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations. It is 2009, the issue has risen in priority, the presentation is very timely to this day.
The Providers Guide to Quality and Culture
Management Sciences for Health has created a very comprehensive website focused on Quality and Culture for healthcare providers. This site is very comprehensive and frames the quality dynamics with succinct descriptions and a broad grouping of subjects. The site was created with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Bureau of Primary Health Care.
National Center for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Efforts
NCQA has taken great efforts to align quality and cultural competency for health plans. In fact, many health plans have been actively making cultural competency and the reduction/elimination of health disparities a priority for years. (more)
By no means is this meant to be a definitive list. In fact, I welcome suggestions on what should be added to it that allows us to see the connections between cultural competency and quality more clearly. We want (continuing for some and beginning for others) to make this an integral part of our foundation for creating seamless connections of cultural competency, diversity, and inclusion with our collective organizational quality development, mission, and of course, for healthcare reform.
Culture and Quality: Joining the Levers (2002)
Dr. Mark D. Smith, MD, MBA, CEO of the California Healthcare Foundation clearly illustrates the movements of cultural competency and quality and their connection. He frames the presentation around “What are we going to do?” It is important to note that this was 2002 when Dr. Smith presented at the Third National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations. It is 2009, the issue has risen in priority, the presentation is very timely to this day.
The Providers Guide to Quality and Culture
Management Sciences for Health has created a very comprehensive website focused on Quality and Culture for healthcare providers. This site is very comprehensive and frames the quality dynamics with succinct descriptions and a broad grouping of subjects. The site was created with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Bureau of Primary Health Care.
National Center for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Efforts
NCQA has taken great efforts to align quality and cultural competency for health plans. In fact, many health plans have been actively making cultural competency and the reduction/elimination of health disparities a priority for years. (more)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Culture and Quality Part II
The idea of connecting cultural competency to quality is not one that is new. In fact, there are products and people who have been in this mode for a long time. For example Resources for Cross Cultural Health has hosted a conference entitled National Conference Series on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations, which they have hosted since 1998.
In addition there are people like Joe Betancourt, MD, MPH who was one of the principal authors of the IOM report Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare published in 2002 who along with his colleagues and leading health disparities researchers, Emilio Carrillo, MD and Alexander Green, MD, MPH created the cultural competency educational tool, Quality Interactions. The name of this product, that teaches health professionals about cultural competency indicates that the creators aligned cultural competency with quality from the beginning of its creation. Thus, as leading researchers and thought leaders in the field they get that cultural competency goes hand in hand with quality healthcare.
So, the idea is not new. However, the idea of aligning quality with cultural competency is not commonly practices. It is not practiced in healthcare where one may consider it to be obvious since the bottom line of healthcare delivery is quality and efficacy. It is why we focus so much on evidence-based practice. Nonetheless, a conscious and consistent conversation aligning the concepts of cultural competency with that of quality has yet to come to light for the majority of healthcare organizations. more
In addition there are people like Joe Betancourt, MD, MPH who was one of the principal authors of the IOM report Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare published in 2002 who along with his colleagues and leading health disparities researchers, Emilio Carrillo, MD and Alexander Green, MD, MPH created the cultural competency educational tool, Quality Interactions. The name of this product, that teaches health professionals about cultural competency indicates that the creators aligned cultural competency with quality from the beginning of its creation. Thus, as leading researchers and thought leaders in the field they get that cultural competency goes hand in hand with quality healthcare.
So, the idea is not new. However, the idea of aligning quality with cultural competency is not commonly practices. It is not practiced in healthcare where one may consider it to be obvious since the bottom line of healthcare delivery is quality and efficacy. It is why we focus so much on evidence-based practice. Nonetheless, a conscious and consistent conversation aligning the concepts of cultural competency with that of quality has yet to come to light for the majority of healthcare organizations. more
Friday, December 21, 2007
"Making Strides to Recruit Doctors Fluent in Spanish"
In follow up to November's post, Language gaps hinder doctor-patient relaitonships:
Recently posted on the Healthcare Careers Channel, a good discussion by MIRIAM JORDAN, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal Online, tackles the real challenges of bilingual healthcare.
In Making Strides to Recruit Doctors Fluent in Spanish, she observes that Hispanics constitute 14% of the nation's 300 million people, but only 5% of U.S. practicing physicians. But there are new approaches, including international recruitment and university programs, such as one offered by UCLA, which takes advantage of the surplus of medical-school graduates in Latin America by helping them finish coursework to prepare for boards in the U.S., where a blend of medical and language skills are in chronically short supply.
Recently posted on the Healthcare Careers Channel, a good discussion by MIRIAM JORDAN, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal Online, tackles the real challenges of bilingual healthcare.
In Making Strides to Recruit Doctors Fluent in Spanish, she observes that Hispanics constitute 14% of the nation's 300 million people, but only 5% of U.S. practicing physicians. But there are new approaches, including international recruitment and university programs, such as one offered by UCLA, which takes advantage of the surplus of medical-school graduates in Latin America by helping them finish coursework to prepare for boards in the U.S., where a blend of medical and language skills are in chronically short supply.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Healthcare, Cultural Competency, Diversity Live Here. . .
Greetings All,
Welcome to our new Blog. Diversity HealthWorks has created this blog to share relevant health care information and editorials to you on a regular basis. Our intention is to create a space that allows you as a healthcare professional, consumer, or advocate to gather and share information about healthcare, cultural issues affecting healthcare, and the myriad diversity-related issues that impact our health that we are aware of and those we are not.
The fact is, all of us are aware of something. Given this fact, PLEASE SHARE what you know. We welcome you and if you are blogosphere or someone that is not and has something to say, please pass it along and we will do the same.
Stay tuned for what we are hoping is the #1 blog focused on the opportunities, challenges, and overall elevation of the diversity/inclusion and cultural competency conversation in healthcare.
Welcome to our new Blog. Diversity HealthWorks has created this blog to share relevant health care information and editorials to you on a regular basis. Our intention is to create a space that allows you as a healthcare professional, consumer, or advocate to gather and share information about healthcare, cultural issues affecting healthcare, and the myriad diversity-related issues that impact our health that we are aware of and those we are not.
The fact is, all of us are aware of something. Given this fact, PLEASE SHARE what you know. We welcome you and if you are blogosphere or someone that is not and has something to say, please pass it along and we will do the same.
Stay tuned for what we are hoping is the #1 blog focused on the opportunities, challenges, and overall elevation of the diversity/inclusion and cultural competency conversation in healthcare.
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