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.
   
• Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE)
  From the International Resource Committee, CORE is a technical assistance program that provides cultural orientation and resources to refugee resettlement staff and volunteers. CORE also developed a website and mobile app for refugees with resources (fact sheets, videos, etc.) in multiple languages.
  • Settle In U.S.
     
• Culture Care Connection
  Information from Stratis Health on improving culturally competent care in Minnesota for health care providers and organizations. Resources on the site include a free assessment to determine how well an organization meets the federal Office of Minority Health's national Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services standards as well as information on understanding specific patient populations in Minnesota.
   
• 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-assessments. From Georgetown University.
   
• National Library of Medicine: Providing Multilingual and Multicultural Health Information
  A class designed to assist those who work with diverse populations in locating health information from the National Library of Medicine.
   
• 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.
  • World Factbook
    Country profiles from the Central Intelligence Agency; includes information on geography, people, government, economy, communications, and transportation.
     
• Program for Multicultural Health
  Resources on what cultural competency is, why it is important, and how to implement cultural competency into services provided. Offered by the University of Michigan Health System, Cultural Competency Division.
   
• 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.
   
• WellShare International
  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.