Cultural Competence

Cross-cultural knowledge and sensitivity are critical to providing good health care to foreign-born people.

• Cross Cultural Health Care Program
  Nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring linguistically and culturally appropriate health care. Resources include a clearinghouse of information on working with limited English proficiency populations. Attention: Non-MDH link

• Cultural Orientation Resource Center
  From the Center for Applied Linguistics, the Resource Center provides orientation resources for refugee newcomers and service providers. Attention: Non-MDH link
  

• Cultural Diversity in Health Care
  From the author of Caring for Patients from Different Cultures, this site provides case studies and field notes. Attention: Non-MDH link
  

• CulturedMed
  Information on culture and health care from the viewpoint of refugees and immigrants as well as providers, from the State University of New York Institute of Technology in Utica, New York. Attention: Non-MDH link

• Diversity Rx
  Policymakers, health care providers and consumer representatives can find resources here to: learn about language and cultural competence in health care, design better programs and policies, and network with colleagues and experts. Attention: Non-MDH link

• Eurasia Health Knowledge Network
  A clearinghouse featuring a library of multilingual health resources, databases, and interactive forums focusing on Central and Eastern European states. Attention: Non-MDH link

• Hmong Net/WWW Hmong Homepage
  A collection the Internet-based resources related to Hmong news and current-events, issues, history, publications, and culture. Attention: Non-MDH link

• Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV)
  An organization committed to education and outreach around child survival and maternal health, training of community health workers, and public health projects in Africa and Minnesota. Attention: Non-MDH links
  • Domestic Health Programs
  • Center for Somali Health

• National Center for Cultural Competence
  Includes definitions of cultural and linguistic competence, evidence regarding the need for cultural and linguistic competence, policy information, and tools for self-assessment. From Georgetown University.
  Attention: Non-MDH links

• National Library of Medicine: Multi-Cultural Resources for Health Information
  A collection of resources on cultural competency from the National Library of Medicine. Attention: Non-MDH link

• Profiles of Countries
  • Country Studies
    Library of Congress descriptions and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world. Attention: Non-MDH link
  • World Factbook
    Country profiles from the Central Intelligence Agency; includes information on geography, people, government, economy, communications, and transportation. Attention: Non-MDH link

• Provider's Guide to Quality and Culture
  Assisting health care organizations throughout the US in providing high quality, culturally competent services to multi-ethnic populations. Attention: Non-MDH link

• Think Cultural Health
  Sponsored by the Office of Minority Health, this site offers resources and tools to promote cultural competency in health care, including free online continuing education courses for health care providers. Attention: Non-MDH link

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For more information on the Refugee Health Program, please call 651-201-5414 (Twin Cities) or 877-676-5414 or use our IDEPC Comment Form.