262749 Securing a Chinese bilingual, bicultural healthcare workforce in San Francisco: An assessment of organizations' experiences

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 5:00 PM - 5:15 PM

Elizabeth Li, RN, BSN, MPH(c) , Health Education Department, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Dana Pong, MPH (c) , Health Education Department, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Miki Chea, MPH , Health Education Department, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
     
Background: Published literature demonstrates that cultural and language barriers to accessing health services result in health disparities. Chinese comprise approximately 20% of the city's population, making San Francisco the second largest metropolitan Chinese community in the U.S. Forty-two percent of adults in this community are considered limited or non-English proficient (LEP/NEP). Attaining an adequate bilingual/bicultural workforce is paramount for the health and human service organizations that serve the Chinese community (united as the NICOS Chinese Health Coalition). Objective: To assess the experiences of coalition organizations in securing an adequate bilingual/bicultural workforce to serve the LEP/NEP Chinese community. Methodology: Executives from coalition organizations completed an online qualitative survey and participated in interviews. Respondents from both methods, representing a total of 18 organizations, described their experiences and strategies for developing a bilingual/bicultural workforce. Results: Overall, organizations recognized a shortage of bilingual/bicultural workers and its effects: (1) trade-offs between linguistic skills and other professional skills when hiring, (2) additional costs for interpreter services, and (3) increased workloads for bilingual/bicultural workers. Participants (78%) reported that bilingual/bicultural mental health professionals are particularly difficult to recruit due to lack of competitive compensation. Stigma of mental illnesses and lack of mental health awareness also prevent Chinese from entering the profession. Conclusion: Addressing the career-educational pipeline is critical to increasing the bilingual/bicultural workforce. A promising strategy includes formalizing collaboration between service organizations and educational programs in order to generate interest among and equip Chinese individuals to work in community-based health professions that sorely need them.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1. Name three effects of a bilingual, bicultural workforce shortage on organizations that serve LEP/NEP Chinese. 2. Identify which type of health professionals are the most difficult to recruit to serve the LEP/NEP Chinese.

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Health Care Workers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was a student co-author on this Assessment which was conducted in fulfillment of the Masters of Public Health program at San Francisco State University.
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.

Back to: 3416.0: Building community capacity for API health