226471 Incorporating the cultural and linguistic needs of individuals with Limited English Proficiency in disaster preparedness

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Monica Molina, MPH , Center for Health Justice, Los Angeles, CA
Alex Ramirez , Community and Facilities Services, Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Loreta Trinidad, RN , Nursing, Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Andrew Ma, BA , Community and Facilities Services, Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Joan Watson-Patko, MSW , Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA
Nina Agbayani Grewe, RN , Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Oakland, CA
  
Issue: Communities of color are especially vulnerable during a disaster due to cultural and linguistic barriers. Research indicates it is essential to address cultural and linguistic issues for disaster preparedness for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals in order to respond effectively.

Description: Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (APHCV) is a Federally Qualified Health Center providing culturally competent primary care services in 12 Asian languages, Spanish and English. Over 85% of APHCV patients are monolingual in a foreign language and over 90% of staff are bilingual or trilingual. To adapt our disaster preparedness plan to include our LEP and culturally diverse patients, the structure of the Incident Command System (ICS) includes an Interpreting Unit Leader who appoints bilingual staff to the Interpreting Unit. During an emergency, Units communicate via radios set to channels based on language. Disaster preparedness materials are available in various languages.

Lessons Learned: Developing relationships with local organizations is essential for disaster preparedness. Participating in the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County's (CCALAC) Disaster Preparedness Work Group and working on the national level with the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) allows our agency to learn and share LEP services with the community. Additionally, APHCV's relationships with the ethnic media allows effective communication with the community.

Recommendations: Local, state and national public health agencies should evaluate the language needs of preparedness education materials in their service areas. Local providers should incorporate the language needs of LEP community members into disaster drill scenarios.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
List 3 potential problems experienced by individuals with Limited English Proficiency during a disaster situation. Identify 3 possible solutions to assisting individuals with Limited English Proficiency during a disaster situation.

Keywords: Disasters, Minorities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because as a Research Analyst for Asian Pacific Health Care Venture (APHCV) I am responsible for working with the APHCV Safety Committee on modifying and updating our Emergency Operations Plan yearly. I participate in collaborations including the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles Disaster Preparedness Workgroup, and the Hollywood Emergency Leaders Project. As a representative in these groups I share the strategies APHCV has used in past emergency situations, inform others of our available resources, and learn best practices from hospitals and other community health centers. I have also been trained by the California Primary Care Association in the Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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