Cultural Competency

New Reference Guide Available for Latino Migrant Farm Workers in Addison County

In addition to our Franklin County guide, we now have available A Quick Reference Guide: Healthcare Access for Latino Migrant Farm Workers in Addison County, Vermont. These Spanish and English language guides answer questions about healthcare access in Vermont’s agricultural communities where the highest number of Spanish-speaking farm workers reside and contribute to our farm economy. The guides provide information on how to make a medical or dental appointment, how to get low-cost care, what to bring and what to expect at your appointment and tips on follow-up care and referrals. The Franklin County guide was originally developed by UVM College of Medicine (Class 0f 2014) students David Larsen and Peter Cooch.

English Version – Quick Reference Guide-Healthcare Access for Latino Migrant Farm Workers in Addison County, Vermont (PDF)

Spanish Version – Un Guia de Referencia Rapida-Acceso a la Atencion de Salud para Trabajadores Migrantes Latinos y Latinas en el Condado de Addison, Vermont (PDF)

Migrant Worker Health Booklet Now Available!

Champlain Valley AHEC is delighted to showcase the Migrant Worker Health Booklet. This booklet was developed to empower Vermont’s migrant farm workers to address common health concerns in the safety of their homes and to make informed health care decisions about the point at which (and where) to access care. It is an easy-to-follow format accessible to those with a range of health literacy levels while simultaneously ensuring the inclusion of sufficient health information. The booklet is in English and Spanish to encourage communication about a specific health issue that a farm worker might face, to employers or community members who may assist in acquiring requested health care products or transport to needed health services.

Migrant Worker Health Booklet

Champlain Valley AHEC is proud to have supported the work of two UVM College of Medicine students who produced this resource as part of their Student Projects. Prabu Selvam, UVM College of Medicine Class of 2014, as part of his 3rd year Family Medicine’s rotation and Community Health Improvement Project and Alejandro Castro, UVM College of Medicine Class of 2016, as part of his 2013 AHEC Summer Project worked with Champlain Valley AHEC, UVM Extension’s Bridges to Health and other contributors (see acknowledgement page) to develop this easy to understand health information and resource for Vermont’s migrant workers. Please feel free to distribute and make good use of this new resource.

Kreiger Presents at New England Rural Health Round Table

Lauren Kreiger, Class of ’15, presented her poster, “Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers: Bhutanese Refugees,” at the 16th annual New England Rural Health Round Table forum in Nashua, NH on October 24-25. The Forum promotes healthy rural communities and solutions to the unique health challenges facing rural New England. Kreiger’s project was a SEARCH project completed in 2012 in collaboration with Nicole Fossiano, MSW, Judy Wechsler of Champlain Valley AHEC, Charles MacLean, MD, of UVM College of Medicine, and Jon Bourgo of the Community Health Center of Burlington. A new chapter in the Champlain Valley AHEC Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers Manual was a deliverable of the project.

NEWEST VERSION OF CULTURAL COMPETENCY MANUAL NOW AVAILABLE!

culture_clip 2013 Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers Manual Available Online! Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers manual – CulturalCompetencyforHealthcareProviders13 (pdf file). The 2013 edition of the Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers has been reformatted and revised to provide a NEW section on Bhutanese refugees and immigrants as well as a revised section on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex (LGBTQI) individuals in Vermont to assist providers in the understanding and ability to provide care for these populations. Also, check out the section on Building a Culturally Competent Practice, which contains guidance to assist you in taking steps to implement change at the practice level. We would like to thank the 2012 SEARCH students from the University of Vermont’s College of Medicine and the Masters of Social Work Program for their valuable contribution to this edition of the manual. This manual is copyrighted and protected by the Champlain Valley Area Health Education Center. Permission is granted to use this manual for non-commercial purposes if the material is not altered and proper credit is given to the Champlain Valley Area Health Education Center. Permission is required if the material is to be modified in any way, broadly distributed, or used in connection with any commercial activity. Please use the following citation: Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers, Champlain Valley Area Health Education Center web site. CulturalCompetencyforHealthcareProviders13. Revised January, 2013. Accessed [insert date]. If you have any questions, contact Judy Wechsler, Education Resource Coordinator, Champlain Valley AHEC at 802-527-1474 x211, [email protected].

Military Health Resources – Visit the Vermont Military, Family, and Community Network website

The Vermont Military, Family, and Community Network (VTMFCN) is a collaboration between the military and community partners to foster understanding and acceptance of the unique challenges inherent to military life. The mission of the Vermont Military, Family, and Community Network is to develop and maintain a multi-group network among community, military, government and private sectors that creates awareness of challenges, identifies resources and provides services to all service members and their families throughout the deployment cycle. The Vermont Military, Family, and Community Network raises awareness about:

Challenges faced by Service Members and their Families
Resources in place to help them as needed
How the Vermont Military, Family, and Community Network can help connect Service Members and their Families to their Vermont communities

Champlain Valley AHEC Medical Interpreter Training Class, October 2011

Participants in the first 60 hour CCCS training program for medical interpreters sponsored by Champlain Valley AHEC. Back row, left to right: Said Tani, Mikhail Zhukov, Patrice Ndikumana, Ainaka Luna, Alla Potashnikova. Front row, left to right: Hooda Al-Nahhas, Yam Mishra, Guylaine Daoust (instructor), Rita Neopaney. Missing from photo: Sonia Laboy

Champlain Valley AHEC has just completed its first 60 hour training program for medical interpreters using a new curriculum and training materials developed by Cross Cultural Communications Systems, Inc. (CCCS, www.cccsorg.com). Our program offers a new and more comprehensive method of teaching medical interpretation, and now includes a mental health component and a new approach to language coaching. The fall class’s bilingual participants spoke a variety of languages besides English including Russian, Spanish, French, Arabic, Somali, and Nepali.

New Reference Guide Available for Latino Migrant Farm Workers in Franklin County

We are proud to present A Quick Reference Guide: Healthcare Access for Latino Migrant Farm Workers in Franklin County, Vermont. Developed by 2nd year UVM College of Medicine A Quick Reference Guide: Healthcare Access for Latino Migrant Farm Workers in Franklin County, Vermont students David Larsen and Peter Cooch, the guide is available in either Spanish of English. This guide answers Frequently Asked Questions about healthcare access in Franklin County as well as giving information on how to make a medical or dental appointment, how to get low-cost care at NoTCH (Northern Tier Centers for Health), what to bring and what to expect at your appointment and tips on follow-up care and referrals. English Version – A Quick Reference Guide: Healthcare Access for Latino Migrant Farm Workers in Franklin County, Vermont (PDF) Spanish Version – Un Guía de Referencia Rápida: Acceso a la Atención de Salud para Trabajadores Migrantes Latinos y Latinas en el Condado de Franklin, Vermont (PDF)

Champlain Valley AHEC hosts a workshop for Vermont Medical Interpreter Trainers.

Pictured from L to R are: Jeanine Bunzigiye; Vera Durarte Outeiro, Primary Instructor, CCCS; Maria Mercedes Avila; Zarita Araujo-Lane, President CCCS; Linda Li; Jacq Rose; Tracey Tsugawa; Guylaine Daoust. (missing from photo: Judy Wechsler from Champlain Valley AHEC)

On April 30 and May 1, 2011 Champlain Valley AHEC invited the president and primary instructor of Cross Cultural Communications Systems (CCCS) to present information about a new curriculum they have developed for the training of medical interpreters. Vermont’s trainers intend to incorporate the CCCS curriculum into their trainings for medical interpreters.

Multilingual Swine Flu Resources Available

Vermont Department of Health Multilingual Swine Flu Resources The Vermont Department of Health is making efforts to reach out to all Vermonters with helpful information about swine flu. For up to date information on swine flu in Vermont, please visit healthvermont.gov/panflu/SwineFlu.aspx. For people who do not speak English of who have limited English skills, the Vermont Department of Health website lists reliable links (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization) to information in other languages. Below please find links to information about swine flu prevention and care in Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Somali, Swahili and Vietnamese. The Vermont Department of Health is working to provide additional resources in more languages and will post them to their site at healthvermont.gov/panflu/multilingualresources.aspx as they become available.

Spanish

French

www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_27/fr/index.html

Chinese

Resources for Practices

VT Interpreter Task Force Trainings (Champlain Valley region; periodically offered), “How to Work Effectively With Limited English Proficiency Persons and Interpreters”. Contact: Tracey Tsugawa, Vermont Human Rights Commission, 800-416-2010, x23.
Vermont Medical Society “Interpreter Issues and Resources”