Spring 2001

Cultural Awareness in Primary Care

Faculty, residents and staff of the Sioux Falls Family Practice Residency are working as a team to provide more culturally sensitive primary care to its patient panel. The practice has a significant population from Bosnia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Russia, Ukraine, and Somalia, as well as patients from Native American, Hispanic and Arabic speaking cultures. The faculty and staff have divided into teams or embassies. Each team will focus on a particular culture using the vehicle of language to develop an understanding of the unique health beliefs and life ways of some of our patients. The project, which will cover a full year, began with an analysis of our own clinic culture and the different world- views among clinic staff. We will produce a set of cue cards with key words and concepts used in primary care. Each embassy will also present a brief overview of the culture they studied. Cultural awareness will be increased by a series of speakers at noon conferences. The entire curriculum will be extended to associated clinics at Community Health Center and University Physicians and to undergraduate medical students. If other FP clinics in the state are interested in the materials that are developed, to help with serving the needs of their own patients, please call the residency and ask for Holly Shane, Marketing and Development Coordinator.