Barnes-Jewish Hospital has a vision for a better health-care system - a system that delivers excellent services to its patients and employees. To make this vision a reality, Barnes-Jewish Hospital has created the Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence.

The Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence was established to promote diversity and cultural competence initiatives and programs throughout the hospital. This includes promoting dialogue around issues of diversity and cultural competence; promoting recruitment and retention of multi-cultural staff who support diversity within our organization; expanding programs for our Limited English Proficient patient population through the refugee and interpreter services program; creating an environment where patients and staff are respected and included; and changing assumptions, practice and beliefs in an effort to promote an understanding of the world from the perspectives of others.

Why is the Center needed?

It is critically important that we confront the disparities in health care related to race, culture and socioeconomic status. The changing demographics of the St. Louis region are significant reasons to develop our workforce to be more diverse and culturally competent. In the St. Louis Metropolitan region:

• Twenty-four percent of the population is diverse.

• Fifty-two percent of the population in the City of St. Louis is African American.

  • St. Louis city is third in the nation for the degree of diversity of new refugee arrivals.

  • St. Louis city is second in the nation for the density of new arrivals to native born.

  • Eighty-five percent of all new refugees sent to Missouri are initially settled in the St. Louis region.

  • Seventeen percent of St. Louis city families use a primary language other than English in the home. Twelve percent of St. Louis city school students are enrolled in English as Second Language programs.

• Missouri is 10th in the nation for free case refugee resettlement.

• Access to healthcare is still difficult for the underinsured.

Regulatory, safety and quality, patient satisfaction, competition and legal risk are other important factors that drive the need for diversity and cultural competence within Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The US Dept. of Health and Human Services instituted the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services standards for health-care institutions to respond to the need to ensure that all people entering the health-care system receive equitable and effective treatment in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. Cultural and language barriers result in communication risk, inaccurate assessment and diagnosis, increased cost related to over ordering of diagnostic tests, and poor patient compliance. If patients believe their needs are unmet, satisfaction scores are low.

A diverse environment will enable us to attract and retain diverse professional talent and to capture a greater portion of the market share. A diverse and culturally sensitive environment will eliminate legal risks related to the perception of unequal or culturally-insensitive care.

By valuing diversity, emphasizing inclusion and mutual respect, Barnes-Jewish Hospital will reduce health-care disparities, increase the presence of multi-cultural staff who support diversity in our organization and create an environment where everyone receives safe, quality and congruent care. By maintaining a diverse workforce, hospital employees will benefit from a healthier, more engaging and satisfying workplace.

To discuss the Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence and its programs, contact Brenda Battle, director, 314-362-7939, or [email protected]

From BJC Today, February 5, 2007, by Brenda Battle