141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

284563
National standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services in health and health care from the HHS office of minority health: A blueprint for advancing health equity

Monday, November 4, 2013 : 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM

J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE , Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC
C. Godfrey Jacobs , Health Determinants & Disparities Practice, SRA International, Inc., Rockville, MD
Darci Graves, MA, MA, MPP , Health Determinants & Disparities Practice, SRA International, Inc., Rockville, MD
Jennifer Kenyon, BA , Health Determinants & Disparities Practice, SRA International, Inc., Rockville, MD
Crystal Barksdale, PhD , Health Determinants & Disparities Practice, SRA International, Inc., Rockville, MD
Alicia Riley, MA MPH , Health Determinants & Disparities Practice, SRA International, Inc., Rockville, MD
Health organizations nationwide are increasingly implementing culturally and linguistically appropriate services to address the persistent health disparities experienced by diverse communities. In 2013, the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will publish the enhanced National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (National CLAS Standards) to offer health organizations guidance on providing quality services to all populations. Adoption of the National CLAS Standards will strengthen an organization's ability to provide care and services that are respectful of and responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of all individuals, which will help advance health equity. This presentation will discuss the National CLAS Standards as a tool for health administrators seeking to address health disparities, as well as to meet requirements established by accrediting organizations such as The Joint Commission and the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The National CLAS Standards provide a blueprint for implementing culturally and linguistically appropriate services, specifically in the areas of governance, leadership, and workforce; communication and language assistance; and engagement, continuous improvement, and accountability. Participants will learn about implementation strategies and promising practices from a health administrator perspective, that will help guide their organizations' implementation of the Standards. The National CLAS Standards are intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health disparities, and this presentation will discuss their use for health administrators in achieving these ends.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Diversity and culture

Learning Objectives:
Describe the National CLAS Standards and health administrators’ role in using them to improve quality of care to diverse populations.

Keywords: Culture, Minority Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. J. Nadine Gracia is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and the Director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A pediatrician with epidemiology training, Dr. Gracia has served in academic medicine and government. Dr. Gracia is an advocate for minority and vulnerable populations and lectures nationwide on health disparities.
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.