Lutheran Medical Center Opens Brooklyn's First Chinese Health Care Unit: Tailoring a new culturally competent approach to health care
Providing medical treatment in a patient’s own language combined with an understanding of their cultural beliefs and customs, can significantly enhance their progress. To provide the best care possible, Lutheran Medical Center is opening the first medical unit in Brooklyn staffed by Chinese health care workers for Chinese patients.
Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) September 24, 2004 -- New York’s Chinese community, the
city’s fastest growing ethnic population (according the 2000 Census), has a
brand new health care option – a specialized unit at Lutheran Medical Center
designed to meet their unique health needs. The new unit offers the most patient
friendly and culturally sensitive health care environment available, complete
with full-time bilingual Chinese-American staff catering to patients’ health
needs around-the-clock. Making this new advancement even more critical is the
fact that Sunset Park, Lutheran’s main catchment area, contains the largest
Asian population in Brooklyn. According to the N.Y.C. Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene’s Community Health Profile, Asian immigrants account for more
than 25 percent of the Sunset Park population.
“Manhattan, and Brooklyn
especially, are large cultural melting pots. As our neighborhoods and
communities change, so must our hospitals,” says Wendy Goldstein, president and
chief executive officer. “For over 120 years, Lutheran has been New York’s
leader in community medicine and multi-cultural initiatives. With this new
specialized unit, Lutheran continues its tradition of serving its immediate
community in the most effective way possible,” she added.
Two years ago
Lutheran opened a family health center in Brooklyn’s bustling “Chinatown,” the
second largest concentration of Chinese-Americans in New York City. Doctors,
physicians and health care staff quickly recognized a need in the Chinese
community for more acute care services that a Medical Center like Lutheran could
provide. “The challenge for most Chinese immigrants seeking medical care is
simply the time consuming trip to Manhattan,” says Henry Mui, director of the
Brooklyn Chinese Family Health Center. “By developing a dedicated Chinese unit
we are providing the local community with an attractive alternative.”
The
Basic Facts:
· A new six-bed cluster in the medical center’s main medical
unit
· Bilingual and multilingual doctors and medical staff available 24
hours a day who can communicate directly with patients in Mandarin, Cantonese
and English
· Chinese meals prepared by a Chinese cook
· Chinese-speaking
patient representatives and social workers available to discuss special needs
related or even unrelated to health care
· All non-Chinese speaking staff
have received training on Chinese culture and health beliefs
· Chinese
artwork and color schemes offering a more comfortable and culturally sensitive
environment of care
The Benefits:
· Health care staff will also be
aware of illnesses that Chinese patients are more likely to have such as
hypertension, diabetes, and hepatitis B and provide appropriate tests and
treatment
· A Chinese cook can prepare meals that Chinese patients will
prefer
· The unit offers the most culturally sensitive and comfortable
environment possible
· Chinese-speaking patients are paired with
Chinese-speaking health care providers
· Bilingual and multilingual help is
available without the need to call interpreters which can take time away from
care
Illness and hospitals can cause anxiety, depression, anger and even
loneliness for patients. Providing medical treatment in a patient’s own language
combined with an understanding of their cultural beliefs and customs, can
significantly enhance their progress. Immigrant groups arrive in the U.S. with
different experiences and health care beliefs. For example, standard tests such
as taking temperature and drawing blood can be new concepts. Additionally, in
keeping with the yin and yang concepts of balance and harmony, it’s customary
for Chinese patients to avoid cold drinks while they are sick. “Being admitted
to a hospital means different things to different people,” says Virginia Tong,
vice president for Cultural Competence. “At Lutheran, we are taking cultural
competence beyond interpretation or translation services and truly incorporating
it into our approach to health care.”
A Level One Trauma Center and
Stroke Center, Lutheran Medical Center has cared for the citizens of Brooklyn
since 1883. Providing medicine, surgery, intensive care, coronary care,
pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and emergency services among others,
Lutheran Medical Center is the hub of Lutheran HealthCare, a network of primary,
acute and long-term services dedicated to improving the health and well-being of
the people of Brooklyn. In addition to the medical center, Lutheran HealthCare
includes Lutheran Augustana Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation, a
240-bed skilled nursing facility, Lutheran Home Care, Shore Hill and Harbor Hill
Housing and Lutheran Family Health Centers.
Neal Gorman
718-630-8316
(w)
917-269-0397 (p)
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/9/prweb161018.htm