I interviewed the Senior Services and Education Manager of the Worcester Senior Center. Believe it or not, I was most surprised with the fact that they had only been there since June of 2000. They seemed to be such a part of the community, it gave me the feeling they had been there for decades. I interviewed and had a tour of this center, and I was particularly pleased with a variety of race, ethnicity, handicap, and of variety of activities going on at the same time. It was a bustling place! This is a large center and everyone seemed very happy. The lunch room/auditorium has a flag hanging for every country that has walked through their doors. They are the next organization that assists refugees after their initial intake often done through Lutheran Services, which is now known as Ascentria Care Alliance. These are the people who have escaped their countries and through the United Nations are sent to various states and cities. Some of these people have no family or relatives, and some do. So what I am most amazed about, that I did not know before this interview, other than only being 14 years old, is the assistance the Worcester Senior Center does for integration of many new people from different cultures to the area. The downfall is having a lot of printed materials in other languages, but I believe they make up for what can not be afforded by their wealth in resources in the community.
Dear Christine, I really enjoyed reading your comment and I am very pleased that you had a positive experience just like I did at the place I went to. I hope more facilities can form to the individuals within their communities. I really love that the place you visited "has a flag hanging for every country that has walked through their doors." That is truly beautiful!
I set up an interview with my mother's close friend who works in the medical office as a front desk personal in a busy pediatrics doctor's office. This hospital serves a wide variety of cultures because of it's location. It currently serves about 15,000 children. The women I interviewed was required to know both English and Spanish for the position because of the diverse backgrounds of the people she would be serving. She came to America from Puerto Rico when she was twelve so she can relate to many of the people that come through the office doors. She loves her job and can't imagine working in a better hospital that really forms itself to the needs of the community. When I went on the tour with the woman I interviewed, I was happy to see how much of the multicultural population that this facility served was displayed throughout the building. There were beautiful posters of children of many different colors painted across the waiting room. Many of them had several different translations below the posters. There were also photos of children that were patients here that were displayed on a large cork board with smiling faces and thumbs up. The tables were full of multicultural children's books and family magazines in different languages. The people in the waiting room were also very diverse. I saw an Asian man with his daughter speaking a language I could not recognize. I also heard adults and children speaking in Spanish and English all over the place. I really got the feeling that this facility was ever-changing and always willing to form to any individual's cultural needs. I did not observe anyone making cultural assumptions and the facility was very warm and welcoming. All in all, this interview opened my eyes up to the benefits of a great multicultural health facility. When I went on the personal tour with the woman I interviewed, it only confirmed what she made know to me during the interview: which is everyone's heath needs should be met no matter a person's ethnic background or where the person has come from.
I agree, a person's health is something that shouldn't be played with. No matter what a person looks like or sounds like they deserve to be treated with respect. People shouldn't be afraid to go see a doctor because they are a minority or have a hard time speaking English. Doctors are there to help you, not hurt you more. The hospital I visited had people speaking many different languages and everyone looked comfortable and didn't seem to be getting stereotyped. I think all hospitals are welcoming, but have a few employees who give the overall place a bad reputation.
Angela, I really like how this medical office you toured was very multicultural friendly. And how easily you could pick up on that this medical office was open to different cultures through their posters, signs in different languages and other examples you provided. Other medical offices and hospitals should take a look at this medical office and see what a great example it is setting for being a welcoming place for different cultures.
I interviewed my cousin’s wife who works in the Emergency Room at Carney Hospital in Dorchester Mass. This is her first full year working there since finishing med school and her residency. She’s an anesthesiologist at that hospital in a town that is predominantly a minority community. Even though the majority of the patients are minorities, the majority of the doctors and other staff members are White or Indian. Right off the bat there is many language barriers between doctor and patient. Most of the doctors speak English with the exception of a few who moved to the U.S. and also speak their native language from the countries they came from. Most of the patients speak Spanish so the need for interpreters is very important, especially in the ER. Along with Spanish, the other popular languages spoken by patients in that hospital were Vietnamese and Haitian. Although English is the language of many people living here, it’s important to be exposed to other languages as well. Now-a-days signs are written in English and below it is the same word written in Spanish. We’re finally starting to realize there is more to the U.S. than one language and one type of person. The hospital I visited seemed very welcoming and open-minded to everyone who needed help. You don’t have to like everyone you encounter in life, but when it comes to health everyone should get what they need to get healthy. People can’t be so narrow-minded especially working in a hospital setting.
Andrew, I enjoyed your post. Language barriers seem to be one of the most difficult and common barrier there is. Being able to communicate with your patient is extremely important. You are very right about the need for interpreters, there needs to be more of them if you ask me. You hear sometimes of the wait to get an interpreter on the phone is long because they are helping with other patients, this could greatly impact someone's health and their access to the proper care. You also brought up good point about having signs in different languages. The other day, I was at a clinic and there was a sign about Ebola and if you have traveled recently to let the provider know. The sign was not only in English and Spanish, but several other languages as well. I was really impressed by this. It was good to see that healthcare is finally realizing the importance of communication and being able to communicate properly. Good posting.
did my interview at the community health link center in Worcester with my sister who works as a clinician .They provide a vase array of services to a wide population of Worcester residents.The place provides services ranging from social serves,mental health services ,detoxification program ,urgent care ,internal medicine ,so on and so forth.I chose it because it is also very rooted in the community especially their provision of care the growing immigrant community.It is such a valuable program that is so beneficial for a lot of people.To me its an excellent provider of services to an often overlooked population .they have a variety of services that they provide ,its a full functioning clinic.
I also did my program assessment in a city setting - cities have such diverse and interesting populations that it can make healthcare an interesting and challenging topic, because different people and different cultures often have very different needs.
I was also interested in Community Health Link . I have a relative and a family friend who utilized the mental health services offered .They do a good job providing safety net of services for their clients . The clients are from diverse backgrounds and are able to receive their counseling , medication management and medical services cohesively within the comfort level of the client
I did my paper on Life Choice, it is a hospice organization that is located in a few communities throughout Massachusetts. Life Choice tailors their service to what their patient needs. It offers not only medical care, but also aromatherapy, massage, family night out, and chaplain services as well as others. They do not turn anyone down who needs their services. They try to incorporate any wants or needs that their patients have, like having certain foods, music preferences, etc. They also have bereavement counceling for family members after their loved one passes away. This way they are extending services not only to the patient who needs hospice, but to their family as well. They are very active within the community. They participate in fundraising walks, community fairs, and fun nights like “Las Vegas Night”. Life Choice’s office was a neutral setting. I did not go on any visits to patients’ homes, but understood that most of their patients were elderly. They specialize in patients who have dementia. It was kind of hard to make any clear determination about the different cultures and ethnicities of their staff and patients. This was partly because I did not go on home visits and most of their staff is travelling from patient to patient. I did get a sense that any and every aspect of their patient is very important to them so they can come up with the best treatment plan possible. It was a good experience overall. I got to learn more about hospice, which I am interested in, and learn about a community based organization.
Hi Nena: I loved the fact that I now know about Life Choice! While we look at multiculturalism as ethnicity, race, language, it is also about what one desires for health, healing, and well-being. Not everyone wants medication to numb, medication to make their hair fall out, medication to make them be free from emotion. Comforting massage, time with family, and aromatherapy are all very therapeutic to most any culture...at least I think so. I will look into this as well, because of its community base and also I have some interest in hospice. On a little rebellious note: it is wonderful that they treat those who are very sick and/or terminally ill with care that helps them to feel comfortable and maybe somewhat pleasing, rather than playing cards, eating hospital food, and waiting for a movie or something. However, wouldn't it be nice if there was a certain amount of this type of care within hospital settings, not so much emergency rooms, but maybe those that come out of the ICU, they are the ones that need calm aromas, massages, or other healing touch modalities. I also feel that these "pieces" of care can and should be offered to all as complementary care.
Nena, am glad that you like the hospice service even though it can be difficult for the patient and the families. What I liked about Life Choice that you mentioned was the aromatherapy massage and family night. Working in the hospice setting is great. Thanks for sharing.
Having worked in a hospice residence I can honestly say the care is very individualized. The focus of course is on comfort , yet what constitutes that is different for each person. Some of it is based on religious and / or cultural differences .One of the things about hospice which allows this ease of adaptability is the lack of regulation .In terms of licensing and department of public health oversight a hospice residence has less restrictions in daily operations .This allows the staff to address patient requests in a quicker fashion than one might see in a nursing home or hospital as those types of facilities have very specific protocols that must be adhered to.
For my interview I decided to interview my older sister who is a pharmacist at Worcester Family Pharmacy. She has been there for close to two years now. Prior to working at this pharmacy she worked for many years at CVS Pharmacy. When I went in to see the new pharmacy she worked at it took me a minute to get used to since I was so use to the CVS Pharmacy setting. Worcester Family Pharmacy was very different from CVS Pharmacy. I found Worcester Family Pharmacy to be less busy simply become it was just a drugstore unlike CVS Pharmacy where you have lots of people coming and going for various things the store sells. Worcester Family Pharmacy only deals with filling customer’s prescriptions. Worcester Family Pharmacy is willing to fill anybody’s prescription but most of the people they deal with come from detox facilities, are psychiatric patients or provide medicine for group homes. For example, they fill prescriptions for the elderly who stay at the Jewish Community Center and will deliver it to them. They do this for other group home programs as well. This pharmacy will help people fill their prescriptions if they showed up with one however; it mainly works with detox facilities, group homes and psychiatric patients. When I asked my sister if she thought her workplace was culturally competent she felt for the most part they were because her pharmacy was willing to help any customer that came in despite their race, ethnicity or situation. But on the other hand she felt her workplace was not culturally competent because Worcester Family Pharmacy has a large group of Hispanic customers and nobody at her work knows how to speak Spanish. (Some coworkers do speak other languages but not Spanish.) She felt that is a customer came in speaking only Spanish they would not be able to help the customer because nobody on the Worcester Family Pharmacy staff speaks Spanish. Overall, Worcester Family Pharmacy seemed like a great pharmacy always willing to help a customer in its needs.
I currently work as a pharmacy technician at CVS! But anyways I think it's good that your sister believes that her workplace is culturally welcoming and that she can help every patient!
I used to work as a CPhT at CVS as well!! And I also chose to do my interview on a pharmacist! I think that the language barrier is definitely a major issue. I remember having many different patients who would come in and have trouble communicating and would be so confused and it was a nightmare for pharmacists who would have to try and consult the patients. I'm so glad Worcester Family Pharmacy is very welcoming and helpful.
For this weeks activity paper, I interviewed my own mother-- She is an RN at St. Vincent's Hospital, in the Same Day Surgery department, right here in Worcester. I have visited my mom's work many times in the past, but this time, going in with many cultural questions and observations in my mind helped me learn a lot about the environment! I noticed many posters on the walls about services for different cultures. What I learned from interviewing my mom is that St. Vincent Hospital has some very good techniques and services for their culturally diverse population. The hospital has a mandatory online model that teaches the staff about different cultures and how to treat them. Also, the hospital has a 24 hour interpreter system (which can either be in person, on the phone, or even video chat), that uses not even just the basic languages, but the interpreters are also fluent in some more dialect, complex, languages. Overall, I believe that this hospital is a very open and welcoming environment to many cultures and the hospital goes above expectations to treat every single patient with the correct care.
The online culture teaching tool seems like a cool and thoughtful programs, especially in a city like Worcester. That interpreter system sounds incredible! The clinic I spoke with utilized a phone interpretation system, but that seems robust and would be very interesting to see in action. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Hannah, I interviewed an RN at UMass and had a somewhat different experience. I noticed in the main hallway that there were different culturally inviting posters and programs but once I was in the main Suite, that seemed to disappear and it became primarily based on Caucasian and Spanish. UMass also has the 24 hour interpreter system but I learned that even with the system it is hard to reach the right interpreter and sometimes the language is not provided. Their are so many languages that it seems almost impossible to have an interpreter for each one.
Hannah: I am happy you went and saw your mom's workplace in a different light! I am so glad that video chats are being used to help with interpreting. With the technology we have, you would think there are many venues to assist in this area. With i-pads and i-phones using Face time, or the PC and Androids using Skype, and other forms of video chatting. For someone gifted with a language, this could be a wonderful service done to assist in all of those, if you will "life or death" moments, one piece of information communicated correctly could be crucial to the knowledge of care given.
I interviewed a friend of mine who is an RN and works for BAMSI. BAMSI is a private non profit agency and has a day rehabilitation that assist and support families with disabilities through diverse services. They also work under DMH, that is department of mental health, where they assist individuals close to their homes rather than in a large isolated State Hospitals. In the past years BAMSI have incorporated so many diverse programs to help the community. Some examples include HIV programs, wraparound family services and brain injury services. BAMSI is cultural diverse in such a way that they use interpreters for the individuals and families, they have treatment modalities that are acceptable and sensitive to language and cultural factors, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. I was really impressed when I visited. It was a Friday and she said they were having a cultural diverse food day. So as curious as I am I asked and she said every individual brings a different food from their own ethnic background and show other people how it was made. The individuals that I met comprises of the elderly, youth, teen and older adults in a different group because they were being thought different lessons at their cognitive level. I really enjoyed this exercise.
Barbara, I also interview and RN because I felt they have the most interaction with different races. I had never heard of BAMSI before this and it seems like they cater to the different languages, cultures, and religious beliefs more than hospitals do. What a wonderful program for families in need.
I was very interested in Rhode Island Free Clinic, an organization that provides free healthcare to the uninsured in Rhode Island. Since I mentioned it in a few previous posts, I thought it would be interesting to look into the subject more.I visited the main clinic, which is located on Broad Street in Providence. The neighborhood is predominantly Hispanic, and has one of the highest crime rates in the state. Despite the location, the offices were very nice, like a typical doctor's office – neat and clean. Organizations that run entirely on volunteers and donations can often have a disheveled hodge-podge kind of atmosphere, but it was a quite dignified and orderly office. I checked in at the front desk and wasn't permitted to stay very long so that they could help patients, but I was given the business card of the administrator, Marion Gonzales, who answered a few questions by phone and a few more by email. While in the office, I did notice Spanish being the dominantly spoken language and it appeared that all flyers and forms were available in English and Spanish. I felt that the clinic did a remarkable job of being culturally competent. The clinic was in a location that was accessible to the population that needed it most, and were aware of issues like transportation and language. The culture of the organization was very caring. I also learned from the organization's website that they offer free classes to their patients and the community on things like healthy eating, exercise, wound care, and understanding health care. I was also very impressed that they reached out the homeless community. A major barrier here is staff. The clinic is able to provide health care to about 10% of the uninsured in the state, so even though RI Free Clinic is constantly adding services and working with new organizations and increasing numbers of volunteers, there are still more than 50,000 people in the state who don't have access to the care that they need. The lottery seemed to be a fair way to choose patients, but it was still sad to think that they had to deny care to so many people.
This is very interesting because I interviewed my cousin who is the president of La Farmacia Latina in New York area. He talked about how important it is to have Spanish based pharmacies because it ultimately provides them with best available treatment which is similar in your case too.
I was interested in interviewing an RN at UMass Memorial because I knew I could get an in-depth tour and really see what happens behind the "curtain". However, I think the most striking thing I observed actually took place in the waiting room. From the moment I stepped out of my car up until I walked into the waiting room, I noticed a multiple of different races and ethnicities, some of which I couldn’t even recognize. I heard languages that were familiar and many that were not and people of all different ages. With a population so colorful, I expected a waiting room to accommodate to the differences…I was wrong. All the waiting room had to offer was the standard stereotypic “doctor’s office” magazines and pamphlets like National Geographic, People, Vogue, Sports Illustrated, and Highlights for kids. The pamphlets had some information in Spanish but nothing for the hundreds of other languages walking through the door. I also learned from the nurse that I interviewed that sometimes the doctors are so behind that patients end up waiting hours in the waiting room. Can you imagine being stuck for hours, surrounded by people who do not understand you and not even having a magazine to pick up and read? Now I know it would be impossible to accommodate for all the languages but a few more general options, I think, should be available and especially for the informative pamphlets on what your procedure is going to be like. Besides that one thing, the RN’s in the office were very nice and tried their hardest to communicate with people who didn’t speak English and work to get the correct interpreters. The barriers are difficult for everyone but it is clear that more needs to be done to limit the difficulties for everyone.
For this assessment, I decided to interview a former boss of mine who is also a role model of mine. Her name is Hanh Hoang and she is a pharmacist at CVS Pharmacy. I had the pleasure of working with her for over two years and decided that she would be the perfect candidate given the fact that she worked in a retail environment for many years. One of the main concerns that we discussed in our interview, was language barrier. It is a major issue that we had faced regarding consulting patients or simply communicating just to have patients sign for medications and understanding what it is they are actually signing for. It can be really stressful and overall frustrating for both the patients and the staff members who try to help. Our pharmacy staff I would say, was pretty diverse but unfortunately we couldn't accommodate every patient who spoke a different language. I think that we did a good job overall trying to be professional and aiding each patient as much as we could. I'm not exactly sure how we could fix this sort of problem but I think maybe even having some sort of translator even if that means having to call someone on the phone to translate would be more beneficial to the patient and can help ensure that they are taking the proper medications and are being compliant with how and when the medication should be administered.
For this assessment, I interviewed my cousin. He is the owner of multiple pharmacies in New York area called La Farmacia Latina. This pharmacy is aimed at specifically those who speak Spanish. During the interview, I was able to learn how much a pharmacy that has Spanish at its primarily language is important for many people. It was interesting that during this interview how much of a difference it makes on a people. He told me how happy the people are knowing they can ask questions and be comfortable within themselves. I thought this is a good idea and should be more spread out in hospitals and other pharmacies around the USA. If someone is to take medicine it is important they have a good relationship with the healthcare provider.
I interviewed the Senior Services and Education Manager of the Worcester Senior Center. Believe it or not, I was most surprised with the fact that they had only been there since June of 2000. They seemed to be such a part of the community, it gave me the feeling they had been there for decades.
ReplyDeleteI interviewed and had a tour of this center, and I was particularly pleased with a variety of race, ethnicity, handicap, and of variety of activities going on at the same time. It was a bustling place! This is a large center and everyone seemed very happy. The lunch room/auditorium has a flag hanging for every country that has walked through their doors. They are the next organization that assists refugees after their initial intake often done through Lutheran Services, which is now known as Ascentria Care Alliance. These are the people who have escaped their countries and through the United Nations are sent to various states and cities. Some of these people have no family or relatives, and some do. So what I am most amazed about, that I did not know before this interview, other than only being 14 years old, is the assistance the Worcester Senior Center does for integration of many new people from different cultures to the area. The downfall is having a lot of printed materials in other languages, but I believe they make up for what can not be afforded by their wealth in resources in the community.
Dear Christine, I really enjoyed reading your comment and I am very pleased that you had a positive experience just like I did at the place I went to. I hope more facilities can form to the individuals within their communities. I really love that the place you visited "has a flag hanging for every country that has walked through their doors." That is truly beautiful!
DeleteI set up an interview with my mother's close friend who works in the medical office as a front desk personal in a busy pediatrics doctor's office. This hospital serves a wide variety of cultures because of it's location. It currently serves about 15,000 children. The women I interviewed was required to know both English and Spanish for the position because of the diverse backgrounds of the people she would be serving. She came to America from Puerto Rico when she was twelve so she can relate to many of the people that come through the office doors. She loves her job and can't imagine working in a better hospital that really forms itself to the needs of the community.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went on the tour with the woman I interviewed, I was happy to see how much of the multicultural population that this facility served was displayed throughout the building. There were beautiful posters of children of many different colors painted across the waiting room. Many of them had several different translations below the posters. There were also photos of children that were patients here that were displayed on a large cork board with smiling faces and thumbs up. The tables were full of multicultural children's books and family magazines in different languages. The people in the waiting room were also very diverse. I saw an Asian man with his daughter speaking a language I could not recognize. I also heard adults and children speaking in Spanish and English all over the place. I really got the feeling that this facility was ever-changing and always willing to form to any individual's cultural needs. I did not observe anyone making cultural assumptions and the facility was very warm and welcoming.
All in all, this interview opened my eyes up to the benefits of a great multicultural health facility. When I went on the personal tour with the woman I interviewed, it only confirmed what she made know to me during the interview: which is everyone's heath needs should be met no matter a person's ethnic background or where the person has come from.
I agree, a person's health is something that shouldn't be played with. No matter what a person looks like or sounds like they deserve to be treated with respect. People shouldn't be afraid to go see a doctor because they are a minority or have a hard time speaking English. Doctors are there to help you, not hurt you more. The hospital I visited had people speaking many different languages and everyone looked comfortable and didn't seem to be getting stereotyped. I think all hospitals are welcoming, but have a few employees who give the overall place a bad reputation.
DeleteAngela, I really like how this medical office you toured was very multicultural friendly. And how easily you could pick up on that this medical office was open to different cultures through their posters, signs in different languages and other examples you provided. Other medical offices and hospitals should take a look at this medical office and see what a great example it is setting for being a welcoming place for different cultures.
DeleteI interviewed my cousin’s wife who works in the Emergency Room at Carney Hospital in Dorchester Mass. This is her first full year working there since finishing med school and her residency. She’s an anesthesiologist at that hospital in a town that is predominantly a minority community. Even though the majority of the patients are minorities, the majority of the doctors and other staff members are White or Indian. Right off the bat there is many language barriers between doctor and patient. Most of the doctors speak English with the exception of a few who moved to the U.S. and also speak their native language from the countries they came from. Most of the patients speak Spanish so the need for interpreters is very important, especially in the ER. Along with Spanish, the other popular languages spoken by patients in that hospital were Vietnamese and Haitian. Although English is the language of many people living here, it’s important to be exposed to other languages as well. Now-a-days signs are written in English and below it is the same word written in Spanish. We’re finally starting to realize there is more to the U.S. than one language and one type of person. The hospital I visited seemed very welcoming and open-minded to everyone who needed help. You don’t have to like everyone you encounter in life, but when it comes to health everyone should get what they need to get healthy. People can’t be so narrow-minded especially working in a hospital setting.
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
DeleteI enjoyed your post. Language barriers seem to be one of the most difficult and common barrier there is. Being able to communicate with your patient is extremely important. You are very right about the need for interpreters, there needs to be more of them if you ask me. You hear sometimes of the wait to get an interpreter on the phone is long because they are helping with other patients, this could greatly impact someone's health and their access to the proper care. You also brought up good point about having signs in different languages. The other day, I was at a clinic and there was a sign about Ebola and if you have traveled recently to let the provider know. The sign was not only in English and Spanish, but several other languages as well. I was really impressed by this. It was good to see that healthcare is finally realizing the importance of communication and being able to communicate properly. Good posting.
Nena T.
did my interview at the community health link center in Worcester with my sister who works as a clinician .They provide a vase array of services to a wide population of Worcester residents.The place provides services ranging from social serves,mental health services ,detoxification program ,urgent care ,internal medicine ,so on and so forth.I chose it because it is also very rooted in the community especially their provision of care the growing immigrant community.It is such a valuable program that is so beneficial for a lot of people.To me its an excellent provider of services to an often overlooked population .they have a variety of services that they provide ,its a full functioning clinic.
ReplyDeleteHi Laurencia,
DeleteI also did my program assessment in a city setting - cities have such diverse and interesting populations that it can make healthcare an interesting and challenging topic, because different people and different cultures often have very different needs.
I was also interested in Community Health Link . I have a relative and a family friend who utilized the mental health services offered .They do a good job providing safety net of services for their clients . The clients are from diverse backgrounds and are able to receive their counseling , medication management and medical services cohesively within the comfort level of the client
DeleteI did my paper on Life Choice, it is a hospice organization that is located in a few communities throughout Massachusetts. Life Choice tailors their service to what their patient needs. It offers not only medical care, but also aromatherapy, massage, family night out, and chaplain services as well as others. They do not turn anyone down who needs their services. They try to incorporate any wants or needs that their patients have, like having certain foods, music preferences, etc. They also have bereavement counceling for family members after their loved one passes away. This way they are extending services not only to the patient who needs hospice, but to their family as well. They are very active within the community. They participate in fundraising walks, community fairs, and fun nights like “Las Vegas Night”.
ReplyDeleteLife Choice’s office was a neutral setting. I did not go on any visits to patients’ homes, but understood that most of their patients were elderly. They specialize in patients who have dementia. It was kind of hard to make any clear determination about the different cultures and ethnicities of their staff and patients. This was partly because I did not go on home visits and most of their staff is travelling from patient to patient. I did get a sense that any and every aspect of their patient is very important to them so they can come up with the best treatment plan possible. It was a good experience overall. I got to learn more about hospice, which I am interested in, and learn about a community based organization.
Hi Nena: I loved the fact that I now know about Life Choice! While we look at multiculturalism as ethnicity, race, language, it is also about what one desires for health, healing, and well-being. Not everyone wants medication to numb, medication to make their hair fall out, medication to make them be free from emotion. Comforting massage, time with family, and aromatherapy are all very therapeutic to most any culture...at least I think so. I will look into this as well, because of its community base and also I have some interest in hospice.
DeleteOn a little rebellious note: it is wonderful that they treat those who are very sick and/or terminally ill with care that helps them to feel comfortable and maybe somewhat pleasing, rather than playing cards, eating hospital food, and waiting for a movie or something. However, wouldn't it be nice if there was a certain amount of this type of care within hospital settings, not so much emergency rooms, but maybe those that come out of the ICU, they are the ones that need calm aromas, massages, or other healing touch modalities. I also feel that these "pieces" of care can and should be offered to all as complementary care.
Nena, am glad that you like the hospice service even though it can be difficult for the patient and the families. What I liked about Life Choice that you mentioned was the aromatherapy massage and family night. Working in the hospice setting is great. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteHaving worked in a hospice residence I can honestly say the care is very individualized. The focus of course is on comfort , yet what constitutes that is different for each person. Some of it is based on religious and / or cultural differences .One of the things about hospice which allows this ease of adaptability is the lack of regulation .In terms of licensing and department of public health oversight a hospice residence has less restrictions in daily operations .This allows the staff to address patient requests in a quicker fashion than one might see in a nursing home or hospital as those types of facilities have very specific protocols that must be adhered to.
DeleteFor my interview I decided to interview my older sister who is a pharmacist at Worcester Family Pharmacy. She has been there for close to two years now. Prior to working at this pharmacy she worked for many years at CVS Pharmacy. When I went in to see the new pharmacy she worked at it took me a minute to get used to since I was so use to the CVS Pharmacy setting. Worcester Family Pharmacy was very different from CVS Pharmacy. I found Worcester Family Pharmacy to be less busy simply become it was just a drugstore unlike CVS Pharmacy where you have lots of people coming and going for various things the store sells. Worcester Family Pharmacy only deals with filling customer’s prescriptions. Worcester Family Pharmacy is willing to fill anybody’s prescription but most of the people they deal with come from detox facilities, are psychiatric patients or provide medicine for group homes. For example, they fill prescriptions for the elderly who stay at the Jewish Community Center and will deliver it to them. They do this for other group home programs as well. This pharmacy will help people fill their prescriptions if they showed up with one however; it mainly works with detox facilities, group homes and psychiatric patients. When I asked my sister if she thought her workplace was culturally competent she felt for the most part they were because her pharmacy was willing to help any customer that came in despite their race, ethnicity or situation. But on the other hand she felt her workplace was not culturally competent because Worcester Family Pharmacy has a large group of Hispanic customers and nobody at her work knows how to speak Spanish. (Some coworkers do speak other languages but not Spanish.) She felt that is a customer came in speaking only Spanish they would not be able to help the customer because nobody on the Worcester Family Pharmacy staff speaks Spanish. Overall, Worcester Family Pharmacy seemed like a great pharmacy always willing to help a customer in its needs.
ReplyDeleteI currently work as a pharmacy technician at CVS! But anyways I think it's good that your sister believes that her workplace is culturally welcoming and that she can help every patient!
DeleteI used to work as a CPhT at CVS as well!! And I also chose to do my interview on a pharmacist! I think that the language barrier is definitely a major issue. I remember having many different patients who would come in and have trouble communicating and would be so confused and it was a nightmare for pharmacists who would have to try and consult the patients. I'm so glad Worcester Family Pharmacy is very welcoming and helpful.
DeleteFor this weeks activity paper, I interviewed my own mother-- She is an RN at St. Vincent's Hospital, in the Same Day Surgery department, right here in Worcester. I have visited my mom's work many times in the past, but this time, going in with many cultural questions and observations in my mind helped me learn a lot about the environment! I noticed many posters on the walls about services for different cultures.
ReplyDeleteWhat I learned from interviewing my mom is that St. Vincent Hospital has some very good techniques and services for their culturally diverse population. The hospital has a mandatory online model that teaches the staff about different cultures and how to treat them. Also, the hospital has a 24 hour interpreter system (which can either be in person, on the phone, or even video chat), that uses not even just the basic languages, but the interpreters are also fluent in some more dialect, complex, languages. Overall, I believe that this hospital is a very open and welcoming environment to many cultures and the hospital goes above expectations to treat every single patient with the correct care.
Hi Hannah,
DeleteThe online culture teaching tool seems like a cool and thoughtful programs, especially in a city like Worcester. That interpreter system sounds incredible! The clinic I spoke with utilized a phone interpretation system, but that seems robust and would be very interesting to see in action. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Hannah, I interviewed an RN at UMass and had a somewhat different experience. I noticed in the main hallway that there were different culturally inviting posters and programs but once I was in the main Suite, that seemed to disappear and it became primarily based on Caucasian and Spanish. UMass also has the 24 hour interpreter system but I learned that even with the system it is hard to reach the right interpreter and sometimes the language is not provided. Their are so many languages that it seems almost impossible to have an interpreter for each one.
DeleteHannah: I am happy you went and saw your mom's workplace in a different light! I am so glad that video chats are being used to help with interpreting. With the technology we have, you would think there are many venues to assist in this area. With i-pads and i-phones using Face time, or the PC and Androids using Skype, and other forms of video chatting. For someone gifted with a language, this could be a wonderful service done to assist in all of those, if you will "life or death" moments, one piece of information communicated correctly could be crucial to the knowledge of care given.
ReplyDeleteI interviewed a friend of mine who is an RN and works for BAMSI. BAMSI is a private non profit agency and has a day rehabilitation that assist and support families with disabilities through diverse services. They also work under DMH, that is department of mental health, where they assist individuals close to their homes rather than in a large isolated State Hospitals. In the past years BAMSI have incorporated so many diverse programs to help the community. Some examples include HIV programs, wraparound family services and brain injury services. BAMSI is cultural diverse in such a way that they use interpreters for the individuals and families, they have treatment modalities that are acceptable and sensitive to language and cultural factors, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. I was really impressed when I visited. It was a Friday and she said they were having a cultural diverse food day. So as curious as I am I asked and she said every individual brings a different food from their own ethnic background and show other people how it was made. The individuals that I met comprises of the elderly, youth, teen and older adults in a different group because they were being thought different lessons at their cognitive level. I really enjoyed this exercise.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I also interview and RN because I felt they have the most interaction with different races. I had never heard of BAMSI before this and it seems like they cater to the different languages, cultures, and religious beliefs more than hospitals do. What a wonderful program for families in need.
DeleteI was very interested in Rhode Island Free Clinic, an organization that provides free healthcare to the uninsured in Rhode Island. Since I mentioned it in a few previous posts, I thought it would be interesting to look into the subject more.I visited the main clinic, which is located on Broad Street in Providence. The neighborhood is predominantly Hispanic, and has one of the highest crime rates in the state. Despite the location, the offices were very nice, like a typical doctor's office – neat and clean. Organizations that run entirely on volunteers and donations can often have a disheveled hodge-podge kind of atmosphere, but it was a quite dignified and orderly office. I checked in at the front desk and wasn't permitted to stay very long so that they could help patients, but I was given the business card of the administrator, Marion Gonzales, who answered a few questions by phone and a few more by email. While in the office, I did notice Spanish being the dominantly spoken language and it appeared that all flyers and forms were available in English and Spanish.
ReplyDeleteI felt that the clinic did a remarkable job of being culturally competent. The clinic was in a location that was accessible to the population that needed it most, and were aware of issues like transportation and language. The culture of the organization was very caring. I also learned from the organization's website that they offer free classes to their patients and the community on things like healthy eating, exercise, wound care, and understanding health care. I was also very impressed that they reached out the homeless community. A major barrier here is staff. The clinic is able to provide health care to about 10% of the uninsured in the state, so even though RI Free Clinic is constantly adding services and working with new organizations and increasing numbers of volunteers, there are still more than 50,000 people in the state who don't have access to the care that they need. The lottery seemed to be a fair way to choose patients, but it was still sad to think that they had to deny care to so many people.
This is very interesting because I interviewed my cousin who is the president of La Farmacia Latina in New York area. He talked about how important it is to have Spanish based pharmacies because it ultimately provides them with best available treatment which is similar in your case too.
DeleteI was interested in interviewing an RN at UMass Memorial because I knew I could get an in-depth tour and really see what happens behind the "curtain". However, I think the most striking thing I observed actually took place in the waiting room. From the moment I stepped out of my car up until I walked into the waiting room, I noticed a multiple of different races and ethnicities, some of which I couldn’t even recognize. I heard languages that were familiar and many that were not and people of all different ages. With a population so colorful, I expected a waiting room to accommodate to the differences…I was wrong. All the waiting room had to offer was the standard stereotypic “doctor’s office” magazines and pamphlets like National Geographic, People, Vogue, Sports Illustrated, and Highlights for kids. The pamphlets had some information in Spanish but nothing for the hundreds of other languages walking through the door. I also learned from the nurse that I interviewed that sometimes the doctors are so behind that patients end up waiting hours in the waiting room. Can you imagine being stuck for hours, surrounded by people who do not understand you and not even having a magazine to pick up and read? Now I know it would be impossible to accommodate for all the languages but a few more general options, I think, should be available and especially for the informative pamphlets on what your procedure is going to be like. Besides that one thing, the RN’s in the office were very nice and tried their hardest to communicate with people who didn’t speak English and work to get the correct interpreters. The barriers are difficult for everyone but it is clear that more needs to be done to limit the difficulties for everyone.
ReplyDeleteFor this assessment, I decided to interview a former boss of mine who is also a role model of mine. Her name is Hanh Hoang and she is a pharmacist at CVS Pharmacy. I had the pleasure of working with her for over two years and decided that she would be the perfect candidate given the fact that she worked in a retail environment for many years. One of the main concerns that we discussed in our interview, was language barrier. It is a major issue that we had faced regarding consulting patients or simply communicating just to have patients sign for medications and understanding what it is they are actually signing for. It can be really stressful and overall frustrating for both the patients and the staff members who try to help. Our pharmacy staff I would say, was pretty diverse but unfortunately we couldn't accommodate every patient who spoke a different language. I think that we did a good job overall trying to be professional and aiding each patient as much as we could. I'm not exactly sure how we could fix this sort of problem but I think maybe even having some sort of translator even if that means having to call someone on the phone to translate would be more beneficial to the patient and can help ensure that they are taking the proper medications and are being compliant with how and when the medication should be administered.
ReplyDeleteFor this assessment, I interviewed my cousin. He is the owner of multiple pharmacies in New York area called La Farmacia Latina. This pharmacy is aimed at specifically those who speak Spanish. During the interview, I was able to learn how much a pharmacy that has Spanish at its primarily language is important for many people. It was interesting that during this interview how much of a difference it makes on a people. He told me how happy the people are knowing they can ask questions and be comfortable within themselves. I thought this is a good idea and should be more spread out in hospitals and other pharmacies around the USA. If someone is to take medicine it is important they have a good relationship with the healthcare provider.
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