Ethnic Health Professional Organization database development determines capacity to integrate multilevel approaches for intercultural competency in Miami-Dade County institutions

A 2009 study of institutional cultural competency in Miami, Florida, documented the current lack of knowledge on the functions of Ethnic Health Professional Organizations as public health advocates. This study determines the capacity that Ethnic Health Professional Organizations have, through consultant positions in county-level health structures, to impact institutional intercultural competency in healthcare delivery and management in a scalable model, nationally. These propositions aim to facilitate improvements of the access within ethnic and immigrant populations to established local healthcare and assimilation services. Established through organizational questionnaires, a comprehensive database of these professional organizations operating within South Florida is presented, alongside a theoretical proposal for public health service restructuring to optimize competency. Upon data collection, response themes were qualified and structural integration points were proposed according to a health and social impact assessment framework. Advocating for the pivotal role of public health agencies in the delivery of competent community health services, the US National CLAS standards explicitly provide structural recommendations for the development of external relationships to facilitate cultural and linguistic appropriate healthcare settings. Accordingly, public health agency compliance with competency standards can be aided through health professional organization services, including (1) assessments of cultural competency indicators, (2) consultant positions for health advocacy and policy, and (3) collaborations establishing community-wide education and training in culturally and linguistically competent health care for racial and ethnic minorities.