Pursue Greater Cultural Competence This Diversity Day
Pursue Greater Cultural Competence This Diversity Day
On May 21 of every year, we celebrate what’s known in full as World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – also known by the shorter name of Diversity Day.
Created by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002, the holiday is intended to highlight both the richness of the world’s cultures and the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development. By one estimate, 75 percent of the world’s major conflicts have a cultural dimension. Therefore, bridging the gap between cultures is urgent and necessary for peace, stability, and development.
While we at Gilchrist are not focused on global diplomacy and development, we absolutely do have a role to play in bridging cultural gaps. Why?
Our objective is to provide a safe, healing, and culturally competent healthcare experience to every patient every time. Cultural competence is fundamental to what we do. It is also integral to reducing health disparities and achieving equitable health care throughout our state and nation.
Understanding Cultural Competency
So what exactly is cultural competency in the realm of health care?
The American Hospital Association describes it as the “ability of systems to provide care to patients with diverse values, believes, and behaviors, including the tailoring of health care delivery to meet patients’ social, cultural, and linguistic needs.”
A culturally competent health care system, the trade organization maintains, “is one that acknowledges the importance of culture, incorporates the assessment of cross-cultural relations, recognizes the potential impact of cultural differences, expands cultural knowledge, and adapts services to meet culturally unique needs.”
At Gilchrist, we have the honor and opportunity to serve a community that is as diverse as our world. Differences are as plentiful as they are beautiful, such as those of language, race, religion, and sexual orientation. We strive to understand these differences with a sense of cultural humility so that we can better understand and better serve those in our care.
In a new book titled “Cultural Competence by and for the Healthcare Professional,” the expert authors readily concede that caring for patients from different backgrounds can be challenging for healthcare professionals.
To meet these challenges, we must invest our time and thought in education, training, and exposure, they assert. This is true not just of healthcare professionals. It is true for the public at large, as well.
On Diversity Day 2023, let us resolve to redouble our efforts to learn more and develop greater appreciation for the richness of the world’s cultures so that we can communicate and collaborate more successful. There’s just no better way to celebrate.