©2010 Diversity HealthWorks

STOP DISPARITIES
The American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Physician Assistant Foundation take on Health Disparities in a Profound Way

Unmasking Hidden Racism in Nursing (Nurse.com)
This article shares the perspective of several nurses in various roles including academic nursing/teaching and administration in hospitals. Racism is not the focus of the article but the aspects of bias described could be considered in the health professions as a whole. The question I have is, given the inevitable course of national and workforce diversity leads us to needing broader representation; without conscious efforts to address this will we see more workforce and quality challenges?

How Hospitals Treat Same Sex Couples
Quality of care is compromised instantly by our biases and often times by hospital practices, written and unwritten policies. This article from the New York Times explores hospital practices for LGBT couples through the insight of The Healthcare Equality Index.

Groups Call on President to Address Health Disparities in Health Reform
The case is building and the time is now to really begin to get a grasp on health disparities. Cultural competency and quality will by their nature be a part of that conversation. Are we ready? What do we need to do to be ready?

Eliminating Disparities In Healthcare: What are the options? Kasier Family Foundation
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care – whether in insurance coverage, access, or quality of care – are one of many factors producing inequalities in health status in the United States.1 Eliminating these disparities is politically sensitive and challenging in part because their causes are intertwined with a contentious history of race relations in America. Nonetheless, assuring greater equity and accountability of the health care system is important to a growing constituency base, including health plan purchasers, payers, and providers of care. (more)

Making a Difference: A Student Profile from US News and World Report
A young lady with a cause was featured in this article. We're out to contribute to all the Chandra Jackson's committed to transforming healthcare. Chandra, Diversity HealthWorks salutes you for doing what you do and being who you are!

Universal Coverage Can Reduce Health Disparities
Findings by Dr. J. Michael McWilliams and colleagues at Harvard who did a study with a pre-Medicare and a Medicare group and found significant differences in outcomes by various demographics. I have to read the study to see what was said. I think universal coverage will help. Yet, without strict rules on quality and patient-centeredness/culturally competent care, I think disparities will continue to exist. I will read and let you know what I think in the next week or two.

What Works in Eliminating Health Disparities?
from the Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants

Health-Care Battle Set to Focus on Public Plan
A well-balanced article on the pros and cons of healthcare reform. I like Laura Meckler's stories. They are objective and factual and lay out things clearly. Good read. . .

A Great Health Disparities Talk by the President of SSM Healthcare
Eliminating Health Care Disparities: A Moral Imperative
Down Load it, it is a keeper!

The American Heart Association and Macy's Join Forces to Drive Diversity in Medicine
New Scholarship to Support Latinas in Healthcare NEW YORK, March 9
The American Heart Association and Macy's today announce the Go Red for Women Multicultural Scholarship, a program designed to support Latinas in pursuit of careers in medicine and increase cultural competence in the healthcare workforce.

Dr. Camara Jones Uncovers the Relationship Between Racism and Health
Racism has an adverse effect on the health of its victims. Most people are aware of the social harms of racism, but few have done research, like Dr. Camara Jones has done, on racism’s impact on health and well-being. . .“In this country, we have for a long time thought of our individual behaviors as the main determinants of health,” said Jones. But encouraging individual’s to adopt healthier habits is not the key to ending health disparities, she said. “People’s choices are either constrained or facilitated by what we now call social determinants of health,” Dr. Jones said.

Disruptive Innovation in Healthcare

National Quality Forum Endorses Guidelines to Reduce Disparities ...
MarketWatch (press release) - USA
The new NQF cultural competency practices suggest patient-centered and culturally appropriate approaches for healthcare systems in leadership, care delivery ...

Diabetes Equity Project aims to improve care for minority diabetes ...
Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USA
Also, Baylor will hold cross-cultural competency workshops for doctors in the Dallas area. In such sessions, doctors learn about lifestyle trends in ...

Training Soapbox: Achieve Cultural Competency
by Dr. Sangeeta R. Gupta

Healthcare Equality Index
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
The Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) is a joint project of GLMA and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The HEI provides a quality indicator for healthcare related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, beginning with the hospital industry.
The survey focuses on specific hospital policies in several areas: patient non-discrimination, hospital visitation, decision making, cultural competency training for hospital staff, and hospital employment policies.

Race: Are we so different?
A Project of the American Anthropological Society

5 Things EVERY Job Seeker Should Know About Themselves From Career Realism
Check out the always good, always fresh, consistently on the money content from industry leader Career Realism

A great article from Career Realism about Branding Yourself--Read it!
Career Truth #1: Brand or Be Branded (Are YOU Willing to Risk What Shows on the Top Fold?)

Health Workforce Information Center
Perhaps the most comprehensive source of information on the healthcare workforce in cyberspace. An absolutely essential resource for those working in workforce development and talent management, particularly for allied health and nursing.

An Integrated Approach to Managing and Rewarding Healthcare Talent
If you are not an ASHHRA member, you may have missed this white paper by ASHHRA and Watson Wyatt, it is worth the read:

Since the announcement of the National Medical Interpreter Certification developed by the International Medical Interpreter Association (IMIA) and Language Line University (LLU) collaborative, several other press releases, questions and comments have arisen. We hope this Industry Guide will provide insight into recent developments and openly and candidly address questions that may be on the minds of many. To see the Industry Guide FAQ Document, please go to:

http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/pages/195_2.pdf

http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/pages/195_3.pdf

This New York Times article discusses the dynamics of cultural and linguistic competency, war, and the growing Somalian community in Minneapolis.
Foreign Ways and War Scars Test Hospital from the New York Times--March 28, 2009