Poster Presentations (Group II)

Patient-centered care is not limited to the exam room or to interactions between providers and patients. Rather, the path to cultural competency starts with well-developed organizational policies on employee diversity. When healthcare professionals and ancillary staff are made to feel both comfortable and safe in their work environments, their treatment of each other and of their patients will begin to change for the better. In this workshop, the presenter will outline innovative strategies for the creation of a diversity and cultural competency training program that draws together all of healthcare's “key players”, from maintenance and kitchen staff to renowned physicians. As a case study, the presenter will highlight a recent diversity training program at a Boston-area hospital that brought providers and administrators together with ancillary and non-clinical staff in a joint step forward towards the integration of a culturally competent model that acknowledges change and gives all staff members the basic tools necessary to enhance communication among each other and with patients and families, therefore improving customer relations across all departments and disciplines. The presenter will outline an inclusive model for “cultural differential diagnosis” through story telling (based on the presenters' observations and information shared by staff members) in which the audience will explore culturally specific variations on how individuals relate to time, community and authority, and will consider different approaches to promoting respect and building trust among each other and with patients and families. Together, the audience will take a look at immigration as a grieving process, not only for the recently arrived immigrant, but also for all healthcare personnel. Goals: 1. Understanding of cultural competency from an organizational perspective 2. Application of tools for cultural competency that enhance trust among team members and in the medical encounter. 3. Step-by-step tutorial in the design of a organization-wide diversity training program