Diversity in the News: In Hospitals, a New Focus on Cultural Needs

by: Staff, Team Member, Diversity Best Practices

As the number of immigrants in the United States continues to expand, hospitals across the country are going beyond simply hiring language interpreters to meet the diverse needs of their patients, reports The New York Times. From offering authentic foods on a floor dedicated to Chinese and Vietnamese patients at a Houston-area medical center, to lactating lessons specifically tailored to the needs of Bangladeshi mothers in New York City, to mindful placement of beds in a Pittsburgh facility so that Muslim patients are able to face the proper direction during prayer, hospitals are coming to understand that cultural sensitivity is not just the right thing to do. They are witnessing the positive impact these efforts are having on health outcomes.