The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #65254

Rosario Alberro, MA¹, Xóchitl Castañeda, DrPH (c)¹, Norma Martinez-Rubin, MPH, CHES¹, Gabriel García-Perez, MD², and Rini Nande, BS³. (1) California Policy Research Center, 1950 Addison Street, Suite 203, Berkeley, CA 94720, 510-643-1290, Rosario.Alberro@ucop.edu, (2) Gestion de Proyectos Innovadores, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico, Liega No. 7, 3er Piso, Colonia Juarez, Mexico, 6696, Mexico, (3) University of California, Davis, California-Mexico Health Initiative, 1950 Addison Street, Suite 203, Berkeley, CA 94720

Background: The California-Mexico Health Initiative (CMHI) has co-sponsored health work force trainings and opportunities to develop bilingual and bicultural competence among a variety of health providers and administrators.

Method: Through CMHI’s “Informative Health Journeys” health service providers and administrators from California have spent weeklong immersion experiences in Mexico to increase their awareness and develop an understanding of language, culturally based health seeking behaviors, and institutional and provider-based orientations to health service delivery. Program participants visited Mexican medical facilities and learned about the health care system through didactic presentations, cultural immersion experiences, and seminars.

Conclusion: The participants’ feedback on the Informative Health Journeys has been overwhelmingly positive and encourages the continuation of similar training to address health professionals’ need to become acquainted with health care systems to which Mexican-origin populations are exposed and which impact patients’ knowledge, attitudes, and compliance with U.S.-based clinical service procedures and medical protocols.

Policy Implications: Culturally-specific professional exchange training experiences are valuable investments in the professional development of health care administrators and providers with the responsibility to design and implement health care services to Mexican-origin communities in the U.S. Reciprocal experiences can benefit Mexican health care professionals by providing them with knowledge and tools to improve their service delivery to international migrant populations.

Learning Objectives:

1)To discuss a process for developing a binational professional exchange training program.
• To discuss the short-term and long-term implications for health professional exchange programs as a strategy for increasing cultural competency and sensitivity.

Keywords: Professional Training, Cultural Competency

Related Web page: www.ucop.edu/cprc/cmhi/html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.