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

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

5129.0: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 12:30 PM

Abstract #66246

Preparing culturally competent leaders in health policy

Joan Y. Reede, MD, MPH, MS, Diversity and Community Partnership, Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, 164 Longwood Ave. Rm 210, Boston, MA 02115, 617/432-2413, joan_reede@hms.harvard.edu and Ying Wang, EdM, Diversity and Community Partnership, Harvard Medical School, 164 Longwood Avenue, Room 214, Boston, MA 02115.

The face of health in California is continually changing with a great surge in population shifts. While minority populations continue to grow, California's health workforce is not representative of the population it serves. For example, although 30 per percent of Californians are Latino, only 5 percent of physicians statewide are of Latino origin. In response to this challenge, the California Endowment Scholars in Health Policy at Harvard University was established to prepare California's outstanding physicians, dentists, and mental health providers, particularly underrepresented minority health professionals, for leadership roles in order to advance multicultural approaches to health and to influence public health policy for the benefit of underserved communities.

Supported by The California Endowment and based at Harvard Medical School, this one-year, full-time program combines an intensive year of training in leadership, health policy, public health and management, with a special focus on cultural competence and health disparities. Scholars complete academic work leading to a master's degree in either public health (MPH) or in public administration (MPA). The program provides: (1) leadership forums, seminar series, and a journal club to address issues relating leadership, cultural competence, health disparities, workforce diversity and access to care; (2) development of a network of health professional leaders capable of advancing successfully among the public, nonprofit, and academic sectors through site visits, national conferences, shadowing public health leaders and an annual meeting; and (3) first-hand experience of policy making process through visits to federal agencies, state/county departments of health, and California's community organizations.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Leadership

Related Web page: www.mfdp.med.harvard.edu/fellows_faculty/california_endowment/index.htm

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.

The Importance of Cultural Competency in the Classroom and in Healthcare

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