Building Healthy Communities: The National CLAS Standards Enhancement Initiative to Advance Health Equity at Every Point of Contact

In 2001, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health (OMH) published the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care (CLAS Standards), which provided the framework for health care organizations to best serve the nation's increasingly diverse communities. In the decade since, the field of cultural and linguistic competency has seen tremendous growth. It has evolved from a fledgling concept to a recognized intervention in the quest for health equity. With this in mind, the Office of Minority Health is revisiting the CLAS Standards in order to reflect the past decade's advancements, expand their scope and improve their clarity to ensure universal understanding and implementation. The Office of Minority Health will publish the enhanced CLAS Standards in Fall 2011.

In an era of patient- and family-centered services, it is essential that the community equip themselves with the tools to request and monitor their health care against standards, such as those for culturally and linguistically appropriate services from the HHS Office of Minority Health. The enhanced CLAS Standards will provide a framework to empower individuals, practitioners and organizations alike to advance health equity at every point of contact. OMH aims to create a landmark document that provides practical guidance on the provision of culturally competent and linguistically appropriate practices for health professionals, consumers and communities. With this framework, the CLAS Standards will continue into the next decade as the cornerstone for advancing health equity through cultural and linguistic competency.