Promoting culturally competent communication at the provider, care institution, health plan, and national levels is likely to contribute to success in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of high quality care. Although some health plans recently have shown interest in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in care, very few have addressed how health plans can improve their cu...

Health systems are serving increasingly ethnically diverse populations. This requires cultural sensitivity/competence. Sharing insights from multi-ethnic countries is important. Insights from Scotland, discussed in this paper, include that the creation of culturally sensitive health systems requires reduction of stigma associated with immigration and immigrants; the wider use of ethnicity along...

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is the most chronic childhood disease and more predominant in low-income and underserved children. Although easily transmitted, ECC is entirely preventable. Dr. Ramos-Gomez and his team at the University of California, Los Angeles put together an interprofessional curriculum where both medical and dental knowledge and practice is integrated to prepare dentists and p...

The Latino population is the fastest-growing population in the United States. This rapid growth has resulted in an increased need for culturally sensitive health and education services, especially at end of life. Terminal illness experiences, beliefs, and expectations are linked to cultural values. Latino culture values end of life and is rich in beliefs, traditions, and rituals related to this...

End-of-life programs that provide an option for patients to die at home are available in most U.S. communities. However, Alaska Natives living in remote Alaska villages often die alone in hospitals and nursing homes hundreds of miles away from home. The Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation (BBAHC), a tribal organization, is the sole provider of comprehensive primary care services to 34 Alaska Na...

BACKGROUND Psychological therapy is effective for symptoms of mental distress, but many groups with high levels of mental distress face significant barriers in terms of access to care, as current interventions may not be sensitive to their needs or their understanding of mental health. There is a need to develop forms of psychological therapy that are acceptable to these groups, feasible to del...

During the last 10 years there has been a considerable increase in the number of studies showing positive associations between spirituality and health [1, 2]. Incorporating spirituality into medical practice, however, continues to pose many challenges [3]. These include the multicultural milieu in which medicine is practiced and the deeply personal meaning these issues carry for both patients a...