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Cultural Competence in Health Care: What is it; Who needs it; and Why?

Andrea Weathers, MD, DrPH
Assistant Professor, Maternal and Child Health, UNC School of Public Health
Graduate of Brody School of Medicine and the Pediatric Residency Program

Individual values and beliefs about health care are shaped by such factors as race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. A culturally competent health care system can help improve the quality of care and contribute to the elimination of health care disparities.

Addressing Multiculturalism in Medical Education: How We See Ourselves and Others - Dr. Andrea Weathers

Marvin T. Williams, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Diversity and Equal Opportunity
Associate Dean for Diversity Initiative
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of South Florida College of Medicine

Disparities come at a personal and societal price. Despite steady improvements in the overall health system of the United States, disparities exist even when controlling for gender, condition, age and socio-economic status. AAMC

Health Care Disparities: A Historical Perspective - Dr. Ted Williams

The annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior Recognition Banquet pays tribute to Dr. King and the senior minority SNMA members. The 2005 guest speaker was Dr. Andrew A. Best.

Dr. Best, a native of Lenoir County, graduated from A&T State University and the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. As an infantry officer in World War II, Dr. Best was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. A retired family practitioner of Pitt County, Dr. Best practiced for more than 50 years. He played a key role in the establishment of the School of Medicine at East Carolina University during his tenure as a member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the ECU Board of Trustees.

21st Annual MLK Banquet: Dr. Best Honored

Lori A. Alvord, MD
Associate Dean
Student and Multicultural Affairs
Dartmouth Medical School

Dr. Alvord discussed the important role of ceremonies and balance, and how she has incorporated this wisdom into her surgical practice to create better healing environments. She will also share ways to apply the principles of "Walking in Beauty" to your own life and community in order to live a healthier, happier life.

The Scalpel and the Silver Bear (Bantam, 1999), her autobiography, tells the story of her journey from the reservation to become a surgeon and her work to combine Navajo philosophies of healing with western medicine.

She is also prominently featured in the National Library of Medicine exhibit, "Changing the Face of Medicine," honoring pioneering women physicians over the past 150 years.

Walking in Beauty, Living in Balance: A Navajo Philosopy of Healing - Dr. Lori Alvord

Fang Cai, MAOM, Lac, Dipl OM.
Oriental Health Solutions, LLC
Durham, North Carolina

Acupuncture is an important component of Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM) that involves the insertion of thin needles at specific points (acupoints). Widely practiced around the world, especially in Asia (the practice originated in China) and Europe, acupuncture didn't gain a notable following in the U.S. until the 1970s, after President Richard Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China.

An estimated 15 million Americans have undergone acupuncture, and about five million undergo the treatment each year. In the U.S., one of its most common uses is to relieve pain, but it is also used for a host of other conditions ranging from ear, nose and throat disease to neurological and respiratory problems and even depression. Acupuncture may be the only intervention used, or it may be used in conjunction with other Oriental therapies such as herbs, or with more conventional therapies.

Demystifying Traditional Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture As An Intervention for Pain