National Conference on Quality Health Care for
Culturally Diverse Populations
Connecting the Desire with the Need: Culturally Competent Care
Baltimore, Maryland
October 21, 2010
Samia Hussein, B.S, CCSU
Brenda P. DelGado, Executive Director PhD (ABD)
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Agenda
 Learning Objectives
 Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Overview
 National Statistics
Primary Care Shortages and Cultural Diversity
 CT Statistics
o MUA, Immigrant Populations, Linguistic Isolation, ER Visits
 International Health Professional Bridge Center
o Key Partners in Healthcare (Social Capital)
o Goals
o Vision/Mission
o Survey Tool/Results
o Services to be provided
o Accomplishments
o Benefits
Next Steps/Recap
o
•
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Learning Objectives
 Identify 5 Key Areas Impacting the Healthcare System
 Engage Foreign Trained Health Professionals (FTHP) in
the decision making process
 Support Entry of FTHP into the Healthcare Workforce
 Describe the Benefits to the Healthcare System
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
What the Heck is AHEC?
(Area Health Education Center)
 Federally funded 1971 by US Dept. of Health & Human Services, Health
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Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), CT Department of Higher Ed
49 States have over 350 AHEC Centers and 130 program offices as lead agency.,
UCONN School of Medicine four regional centers
Each state requires a statewide Advisory committee
Established in 1976 as the Hartford Primary Care Consortium, (HPPC) by five
neighborhood health centers to address health care needs of Hartford’s
medically underserved and
AHEC became a program of HPCC in 1995 and agency took on its current
name in 2000
Our mission is “to eliminate health disparities among diverse
populations of central Connecticut by providing and coordinating
programs that improve the health status of all”
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
AHEC AROUND USA
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Staff: 28
Staff: 5
Staff: 5
Staff: 5
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
CENTRAL AHEC PROGRAM SERVICES
HEALTH CARE SERVICES
CT Aids Drug Assistance
Program (MAI)
Ambulatory Primary Care
HEALTH CAREER
EXPLORATION
Youth Health Service Corps
Collegiate Health Service
Corps
Early Intervention Services
Substance Abuse Counseling
“Careers for the Future”
Summer Medical Camps
Mental Health Counseling
AHEC Summer Institute
HEALTH EDUCATION
Heart Strong
(Heart Disease & Stroke
Prevention)
Elders Ready for Action
(Emergency Preparedness)
Healthy Outcomes for
Pregnancy Empowerment
NEC Program (EMT)
Medical Case Management
International Health
Professional Bridge Center
Client Emergency Funds
Voices of the Future
Mobile Health Van
Health Debate Clubs
Healthy Relationships
AmeriCorps Volunteers
Drug Treatment Advocacy
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Current Realities & Needs
Cited from New York Times
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
A health care system lacks diversity
The physician
diversity ratio in CT
is 3.74, which means
that in order to have
a physician
workforce that
marches its
population, CT would
need to increase its
current number of
underrepresented
minority physicians
3.74 times.
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Number of Health Professional Shortage Area Designations by
CT County, January 2007
Source: CT DPH Health Care for CT's Underserved Population Article, Jan.
2007
Windham
3
2
Tolland
New London
2
3
New Haven
2
2
4
Dental
1
7
2
Middlesex
Litchfield
3
1
8
1 1
Mental
Health
2
Hartford
10
9
Fairfield
10
9
0
Primary
Care
4
5
10
15
Number of Designations
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
4
3
20
25
Increase in Immigrants
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Lingustic Isolation in CT Towns
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2006 B05006 Table 2
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Co
nn
ec
tic
ut
Br
idg
ep
or
t
Da
nb
ur
y
Ha
rtf
or
Ne
d
w
Br
ita
in
Ne
w
Ha
ve
n
No
rw
a lk
St
am
fo
rd
W
at
er
bu
ry
% Isolation
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Health Inequities- ER Visits
 In 2008: 435 per 1000 in CT vs. 404 per 1000 in USA
 Between 2000-2006, preventable hospitalizations up
4%; racial/ethnic minorities contribute 100% of 4%
growth
 Preventable hospitalizations among whites decreased
3% over that same period
 Hispanics & African Americans represented 44% &
31% respectively
o
Factors: No primary care physician, no insurance,
language/culture (linguistic isolation), lack of resources, etc
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Key Partners in the Healthcare Community
Center Advisory Committee
 Community Health Center Association of Connecticut
 City of Hartford Department of Health & Human
Services
 UCONN AHEC Program Office
 UCONN- School of Public Health
 CCSU- Center for Public Policy & Social Research
 Concerned Citizens for Humanity
 Connecticut Department of Public Health
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
International Bridge Center Goals
 Increase quality of a diverse healthcare workforce
 Increase access & response of the healthcare delivery
system
 Increase delivery of healthcare for limited English
proficiency individuals
 Decrease impact of language barriers on quality of
healthcare
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Vision
 To shape Connecticut's health care system so that
underserved, culturally diverse populations will
experience better health outcomes.
Mission
 To build a bridge between qualified, internationally
trained health care professionals and linguistically and
culturally competent health care services for
Connecticut's diverse, underserved communities.
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Survey Tool
 Demographics:
o Age
o Country of Birth, current Status
o Length in years/months of stay
o Native Language
Language
o Proficiency Reading, Writing, Speaking (English/Other)
Not Licensed in Connecticut
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•
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o Degree/License in Native Country
o Current Clinical Work using Degree/License
Already Licensed in Connecticut
o
o
o
o
Current Job?
Length of CT Licensing Process?
Cost of process?
What supports helped?
Interest to entering the Healthcare Workforce in Connecticut
Level of commitment to get licensed?
Three biggest obstacles to get licensed?
Individual and Community support for Center?
Center Name?
Contact information for database
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Survey
Number/Percentage Results
61
June 22-July 7, 2009
57.1%
5+ years in USA
40%
Speak Spanish
58.3%
US Citizens/Permanent Residents (Green Card)
62.3%
Other jobs: teller, factory worker, salesman,
health counselor, lab assistant, etc
98.3%
Interested to enter CT healthcare workforce
82%
Biggest obstacle: complicated licensing process
91.8%
Program designed to assist in license
requirements would be helpful
100%
Support establishment of IHPBC
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
English Language is NOT the biggest Factor!!
Reading English easily
88.3%
Writing English easily
78.3%
Speaking English easily
46.7%
Understanding English easily
91.7%
Understanding the licensing process was the
biggest factor!!
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
What the Bridge Center will offer:
 Individualized academic counseling
 Individualized career pathways, accelerated & alternative
programs
 Understand CT licensing process
 Background checks & license verification
 Potential educational resources, including workshops
(Intro to US Healthcare System, TOEFL prep, etc)
 Referrals to financial assistance
 Mentoring by experienced health professionals
 Referrals to educational institutions
 Referrals to English as a Second Language programs
 Study/support peer groups for exam prep
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Accomplishments
 Visited similar programs (WBC)
 Funded Business plan
 Center website (www.centralctahec.org)
 Marketing brochure
 Orientation Manual
 Online registry
 Ongoing FTHP communication & database
 Mapped pathways for six healthcare professions
 Identified potential resources
 Type of VISA & opportunities granted
 Conducted local and statewide presentations
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
How will Connecticut benefit?
 Competent FTHP working in their trained profession
 Commitment to healthcare system in CT
 Collaboration between current & new providers to address shortage
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& lack of diversity
Continuity of underrepresented communities to experience better
health outcomes & eliminate health disparities
Confront cultural/language barriers for seeking health care
Create a bridge between culturally & linguistically competent health
professionals & healthcare services for diverse underserved
communities
Create a strong patient-provider relationship to build patient
confidence, leading to frequent medical visits
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Sustainability/Next Steps
 Reconvene Advisory Committee
 Newsletter for FTHP (Updates)
 Meet with Goodwin Community College President
 Continue Grant Seeking Opportunities
 Identify Fee Structure for Services
 Continue Online Sign-up Registry
 Plan Regional Meeting of Interested Collaborators
 Meet with Connecticut Medical Society
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Recap/Summary
 Decrease linguistic isolation
 Increase primary care providers
 Increase linguistically & culturally competent health
professionals
 Increase workforce diversity
 Increase access to care for underserved communities
 Increase the patient-provider relationship
 Decrease health inequities
 Increase healthy outcomes/medical adherence
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Connecting the Desire with the Need
 Recruitment of Racial/Ethnic students 
 Medical School

 Recruitment and Training of Medical Interpreters
o
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o
Language (dialects, slang)
Culture
Time
 Coordination of Telephone Translations
o
o
o
Lost messages
Impersonal
Time
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
International Health Professional Bridge Center
Qualified & Experienced
Foreign Trained Health
Professionals
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc
Thank You
CENTRAL AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER, INC.
Brenda P. DelGado, Executive Director
Samia Hussein, Coordinator
International Health Professional Bridge Center
20-28 Sargeant Street
Hartford, CT 06105
860-920-5149
www.centralctahec.org
www.healthcareersinct.com
info@centralctahec.org
Join Us on
(Central CT AHEC)
Central Area Health Education Center, Inc