About the Welcome Back Initiative
History
The Welcome Back Initiative was founded by Dr. José Ramón Fernández-Peña in 2001 in partnership between San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco with the intent of connecting the un-tapped pool of immigrant health professionals residing in California and the need for a health workforce that better reflects the linguistic and cultural diversity of our State. Since then, the Initiative has grown to a national network of 11 centers in 9 states.
The Welcome Back Initiative was founded by Dr. José Ramón Fernández-Peña in 2001 in partnership between San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco with the intent of connecting the un-tapped pool of immigrant health professionals residing in California and the need for a health workforce that better reflects the linguistic and cultural diversity of our State. Since then, the Initiative has grown to a national network of 11 centers in 9 states.
Background
Among the many challenges facing the U.S. health sector today is the issue of racial and ethnic disparities in health care. A key factor influencing such disparities is the limited access to health professionals who speak the language and understand the culture of the patient population being served. As an example, California is an increasingly diverse state with ethnic and racial minorities making over 50% of the state’s population. However, this diversity is severely under represented in California’s healthcare workforce. For example, although Latinos make up 31% of California’s population, they represent only 4% of nurses and 4% of physicians throughout the state.
At the same time, the healthcare sector in the U.S. is faced with professional shortages in many essential areas; nurses, pharmacists, dental hygienists, respiratory therapists, medical laboratory technologists, psychologists, and social workers are very much in demand. Along with this shortage, a misdistribution of health professionals also exists. This is exemplified by the need for physicians and dentists in underserved urban areas and rural counties.
As a result, a major issue currently affecting the healthcare sector is the lack of culturally and linguistically diverse health professionals. This is especially true for the “safety net” – community-based clinics, public health clinics, and health service agencies that are often the sole providers of health services for immigrant communities. It is well known that important aspects of care, such as treatment adherence and patient satisfaction, improve significantly when the cultural and linguistic gap between health service providers and their patients is narrowed.
Among the many challenges facing the U.S. health sector today is the issue of racial and ethnic disparities in health care. A key factor influencing such disparities is the limited access to health professionals who speak the language and understand the culture of the patient population being served. As an example, California is an increasingly diverse state with ethnic and racial minorities making over 50% of the state’s population. However, this diversity is severely under represented in California’s healthcare workforce. For example, although Latinos make up 31% of California’s population, they represent only 4% of nurses and 4% of physicians throughout the state.
At the same time, the healthcare sector in the U.S. is faced with professional shortages in many essential areas; nurses, pharmacists, dental hygienists, respiratory therapists, medical laboratory technologists, psychologists, and social workers are very much in demand. Along with this shortage, a misdistribution of health professionals also exists. This is exemplified by the need for physicians and dentists in underserved urban areas and rural counties.
As a result, a major issue currently affecting the healthcare sector is the lack of culturally and linguistically diverse health professionals. This is especially true for the “safety net” – community-based clinics, public health clinics, and health service agencies that are often the sole providers of health services for immigrant communities. It is well known that important aspects of care, such as treatment adherence and patient satisfaction, improve significantly when the cultural and linguistic gap between health service providers and their patients is narrowed.
FundersThe Welcome Back Initiative is proudly supported by:
• The California Endowment • U.S Department of Labor • More... |
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