Interviewer: We appreciate you are allowing the time to discuss your organization’s approach to meeting the healthcare needs regarding the National CLAS Standards. First, what are the strategies your organization uses to meet the health care needs of older people and, more specifically, referring to populations with higher levels of obesity?
Health Care Administrator: Through the promise of realigning our practices to be consistent with the National CLAS Standards, we show a great commitment to providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services. Given the varied needs of older persons, particularly those facing obesity, we have adopted a broad strategy. The essence of this approach is that we invested in training programs, making our healthcare providers culturally competent and great communicators. Such programs educate our staff on navigating challenges that may accompany certain cultural environments and talking with patients despite being part of various language groups.
With such development of cultural insight, our health practitioners can have higher rapport and trust with the old patients, which promotes patient-centered care. This fits the criteria of national CLAS Standards and is acculturation-appropriate and responsive to the aging population for obesity. Finally, our proposed integrative model aims to address disparities in health and achieve equal outcomes for all community members regardless skin color.
Interviewer: That sounds like a comprehensive approach. Can you elaborate on how your organization ensures effective communication between healthcare providers and patients from diverse backgrounds?
Health Care Administrator: Our endeavor to embrace the principles of National CLAS Standards in our practice has enabled us to establish an all-encompassing framework that addresses effective intercultural communication. The intake process also emphasizes serving each person’s needs as far as language is concerned. This involves a thorough needs evaluation to identify the linguistic demands that enable us to offer an effective communication service. Therefore, we have engineered a linguistics team of interpreters and bi-lingual personnel to address any language issues so that patients can communicate their health concerns and the information they provide.
Additionally, underlining the necessity for information to be readily available to everyone in our population, we have developed materials in various languages because people who speak different languages live among us. The application of visual aids for learners with additional reading proficiency complements this procedure. The National CLAS Standards are met by emphasizing Languageonccess and Communication, where we must have a patient-centered patient, making them feel heard and valued by individuals whose life situations matter to them, and integrity is given back through their healthcare journey.
Interviewer: That’s commendable. How does your organization accommodate subgroups of the population, such as those with a higher prevalence of obesity, to ensure their specific health needs are met?
Health Care Administrator: To deal with the peculiarities of health demands in the subpopulation among older adults, we have developed specialized programs to overcome such threats as obesity. One of the critical initiatives focuses on nutrition education, highlighting diet as an important element in obesity management and prevention. Moreover, our programs focus on the significance of the specifically designed physical activity for people above sixty years old based on their specifics regarding mobility and health.
The collaboration with community organizations theoretically underpins our approach. We can, therefore, get culturally sensitive resources and support groups within which we have worked closely with these entities while healing the elderly population (Hood et al., 2023). This collective action guarantees that our initiatives are based not only on clinical standards but also on the cultural desires and principles of the people we serve. In summary, the commitment by which we follow such initiatives shows our adherence to national CLAS standards in establishing a culture of ensuring equal and respectful care that values various needs within the older persons population.
Interviewer: You can see that your organization is dealing based on a total approach. What are some benefits you can identify that your organization has received by incorporating the National CLAS Standards in its strategies for addressing health care issues of ethnic elderly people?
Health Care Administrator: Implementing the National CLAS Standards has greatly improved our healthcare organization’s performance and reputation. Significantly, adopting these standards has led to an unprecedented increase in patient satisfaction and confidence. Patients are empowered and engaged in their healthcare decisions, taking control over their health. Second, this greater engagement has led to better health outcomes and compliance with the treatment protocols.
Additionally, our compliance with the National CLAS Standards has improved individual patient experiences and impacted a wider community environment. We have also consolidated partnerships with community agencies to promote inclusiveness within our healthcare environment. This collaborative strategy has enabled us to resolve the specific needs of the distinctive subgroups, increasing health equity. Therefore, our institution has become known as an advocate of culturally appropriate care, setting the stage for us to champion accessible and respectful medical treatment services available in all segments.
Interviewer: Nevertheless, the application of such tactics may present many difficulties. How do you address the challenges your organization has faced in implementing the national CLAS Standards to respond, at least partially, to the needs for health care we have identified?
Health Care Administrator: Our organization’s problems show how dynamic the healthcare setting is, with cultural competence only evolving as the industry changes. The ongoing staff training introduces a significant demand for time and resources, as following recent cultural competence practices is vital when rendering quality care. In addressing this challenge, we are dedicated to weekly sessions comprising training and workshops and integrating cultural competency modules into the professional development programs. This helps us keep our healthcare professionals current and equipped to serve our wide demographic of patients.
Resource allocation, another acute problem, is also observable in the program development and maintenance for targeted subgroups, including the obedient geriatric population suffering from weight issues. These programs require a lot of investments, workforce allocation, and outside parties’ involvement. Although it was not an easy process, our institution understands that such programs are crucial in providing precise and efficient treatment. We are exploring alternative fundraising methods, improving internal processes, and establishing community collaborations to resolve financial constraints. The challenges that we need to meet with an unwavering determination as our underlying competence is the commitment to adaptability and a responsive approach oriented towards addressing the diverse needs of our many populations.
Interviewer: I am very grateful for the information provided. In conclusion, what would be the effective summary of how your organization’s compliance with the National CLAS Standards can influence better healthcare for younger generations faced with obesity?
Health Care Administrator: Mapping the National CLAS Standards has brought a transformational period for our healthcare entity, significantly contributing to massive favorable changes in multiple sectors. First, there is a significant improvement in the patient’s outcomes and satisfaction rates. We have weakened the many boundaries that could obstruct successful interpersonal communication and understanding between the health care providers and the patients by emphasizing cultural competence and language skills (Schiaffino et al., 2020). It has led to a more participatory and empowered patient population, which is extremely important in better health outcomes. Secondly, the commitment to individualized health care that responds to different ethnic and cultural diversity brings about greater inclusiveness and helps us build a connection with our community citizens. As such, the community is aware that our organization works according to cultural sensitivities and adapts to their specific needs, thus forging a strong relationship between the healthcare providers and those they look after. This adherence to the National CLAS Standards has made this a foundation of our efforts towards equitable access to high-quality and accessible health care for all the people in our diverse community.
Interviewer: Thank you for providing such valuable information. This concludes our interview.
References
Hood, S., Campbell, B., & Baker, K. (2023). Culturally Informed Community Engagement: Implications for Inclusive Science and Health Equity. In PubMed. RTI Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592587/
Schiaffino, M. K., Ruiz, M., Yakuta, M., Contreras, A., Akhavan, S., Prince, B., & Weech-Maldonado, R. (2020). Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Hospital Services Reduce Medicare Length of Stay. Ethnicity & Disease, 30(4), 603–610. https://doi.org/10.18865/ed.30.4.603
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