Forum on the Health Needs and Language Barriers of African Immigrants and Refugees
LOS ANGELES, April 7 /PRNewswire/ — The California Endowment (TCE) and Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc. (SHIRE) present a forum on Friday, April 8, 2005 on the health needs and language barriers facing black immigrants and refugees of African descent. The forum is from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, 404 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071.
The forum introduces a new report, “Giving Voices to the Voiceless: Language Barriers and Health Access Issues of Black Immigrants of African Descent.” The report identifies key language and cultural barriers that impede access to health care for African immigrants.
The report takes an in-depth and coordinated look at problems encountered by African immigrants in negotiating the health care system after arrival in this country. The research also chronicles the major obstacle that language barriers represent in a bilingual health care system that is oriented to English and Spanish.
The purpose, findings and recommendations of the report are being presented and discussed by invited guests, including:
* Robert Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment (TCE), a
private foundation established in 1996 to address the health needs of
Californians. TCE commissioned and published the report.
* Ignatius Bau, Program Officer for The California Endowment (TCE). Bau
develops programs to improve the health of underserved communities,
focusing on the foundation’s strategic program area of cultural
competency in health.
* Dr. Russell Davis, Co-Founder and President of Summit Health Institute
for Research and Education, Inc. (SHIRE), which authored the report.
* Khalil Abdullah, principal author of the report. Abdullah will
present an overview of the report, its conclusions and
recommendations.
* Westley Sholes, principal for Sholes and Associates in L.A. and Vice
President, Health Programs for the National Organization of Black
County Officials.
* Cynthia Davis, Assistant Professor, Charles R. Drew University of
Medicine and Science, Department of Family Medicine.
A distinguished panel from the Los Angeles community will speak in response to the findings and recommendations of the report. Among the invited respondents are:
* Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, who is well known for his commitment to
quality healthcare for all Californians;
* A. Belinda Towns, M.D., Director, Public Health, L.A. County
Department of Health Services;
* Denise Adams-Simms; Executive Director, California Black Health
Network;
* Muadi Mukenge, Program Officer for Africa at the Global Fund for
Women; and
* Sylvia Drew Ivie, Director of the Steering Committee on the Future of
the King/Drew Medical Center.
The report suggests that:
1. Recent African immigrants face formidable barriers to health care
access due to limited English skills, lack of resources, the absence
of health insurance and the lack of awareness of how to get through
the health care system.
2. There are very few health care providers in the United States who
understand the various African cultures and how to communicate and
interact with these patients.
3. African immigrant health care workers need opportunities to obtain
additional training and credentialing in order to utilize their
skills in the United States.
4. Language barriers have a major impact on the entire range of social
functions for immigrants and their children, especially in education,
employment, housing, politics and law.
5. Available evidence suggests that African immigrants and refugees are
undercounted and hence, data collection and research regarding these
individuals should be substantially improved.
The report recommended improved data collection efforts, more outreach and collaboration between African and African-American community-based organizations, increased educational and credentialing programs for immigrant and refugee health care workers, and the development of a Health Care Advocates Initiative to train lay health educators who will teach, inform and promote awareness of the health care system in the United States and how to navigate it.
Speaking on behalf of the over 70 individuals who participated in the qualitative phase of the research project, Walter Lam, Executive Director of the Alliance for African Assistance in San Diego, California, noted the importance of this research, stating: “This is the first report of its kind that documents our needs and provides a roadmap for further action. We are very pleased that the SHIRE researchers returned to our community to share their findings with those of us who struggle with these problems every day.”
Copies of the report are available from the California Endowment website: http://www.calendow.org/.
Education, Inc.
California Endowment and Summit Health Institute for Research and
CONTACT: Westley Sholes, +1-310-541-0441, wsholes@yahoo.com, orRuth Perot, +1-877-371-4900, rperot@shireinc.org, both of California Endowmentand Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc.
Web site: http://www.calendow.org/