Description of committee
The Minority Health Council is a group of fourteen members who are appointed by the Governor with approval of the New York State Senate from different backgrounds who meet to discuss the most health care issues that affect the lives of racial, ethnic, and other underserved communities (Council of Minority Health, 2016). The Council works with the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Prevention to achieve the goal of equal health and health care for all New Yorkers. Over the past three years, the Council has worked in three main areas: raising awareness about the health of racial, ethnic and other underserved populations, increasing the engagement of local grassroots communities in public health advocacy …show more content…
Despite advances in medicine, the disparities in quality and access to care that minorities receive still exist. Patients from racial and ethnic minorities often perform far worse than their white counterparts on a variety of health indicators: life expectancy, infant mortality, prevalence of chronic diseases and insurance coverage, among others (Sullivan, 2004). While many factors contribute to disparities in healthcare, the scarcity of diversity in the healthcare workforce is cited very often as a chief contributing factor and that “increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the healthcare workforce is essential for the adequate provision of culturally competent care of our nation’s burgeoning minority communities (Sullivan, 2004) .
The justification for increasing diversity in the health workforce is apparent: increased diversity in the healthcare workforce will improve the overall health of the nation. Studies suggest that increasing the diversity of the health workforce can improve patient access, patient satisfaction, and improve quality of care for all patients. Cultural competence is a basic principle that underlies the interaction between patient, provider, and system. Increasing diversity has great implications for enriching the cultural competence …show more content…
Given the difficulty of deciphering the cultural beliefs of ethnic communities, health care organizations most likely would benefit from building connections with minority groups and establishing opportunities for consulting about their needs. Patients and their families are experts in their own beliefs and health traditions and suggestions from the community as those obtained in the listening sessions from the Minority Health Council can lead to the development of a culturally appropriate interventions.(Fortier,
The Minority Health Council is a group of fourteen members who are appointed by the Governor with approval of the New York State Senate from different backgrounds who meet to discuss the most health care issues that affect the lives of racial, ethnic, and other underserved communities (Council of Minority Health, 2016). The Council works with the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Prevention to achieve the goal of equal health and health care for all New Yorkers. Over the past three years, the Council has worked in three main areas: raising awareness about the health of racial, ethnic and other underserved populations, increasing the engagement of local grassroots communities in public health advocacy …show more content…
Despite advances in medicine, the disparities in quality and access to care that minorities receive still exist. Patients from racial and ethnic minorities often perform far worse than their white counterparts on a variety of health indicators: life expectancy, infant mortality, prevalence of chronic diseases and insurance coverage, among others (Sullivan, 2004). While many factors contribute to disparities in healthcare, the scarcity of diversity in the healthcare workforce is cited very often as a chief contributing factor and that “increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the healthcare workforce is essential for the adequate provision of culturally competent care of our nation’s burgeoning minority communities (Sullivan, 2004) .
The justification for increasing diversity in the health workforce is apparent: increased diversity in the healthcare workforce will improve the overall health of the nation. Studies suggest that increasing the diversity of the health workforce can improve patient access, patient satisfaction, and improve quality of care for all patients. Cultural competence is a basic principle that underlies the interaction between patient, provider, and system. Increasing diversity has great implications for enriching the cultural competence …show more content…
Given the difficulty of deciphering the cultural beliefs of ethnic communities, health care organizations most likely would benefit from building connections with minority groups and establishing opportunities for consulting about their needs. Patients and their families are experts in their own beliefs and health traditions and suggestions from the community as those obtained in the listening sessions from the Minority Health Council can lead to the development of a culturally appropriate interventions.(Fortier,