Culturally Competent Care
AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Care’s cultural competency program helps prepare our providers to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services to all of our members, regardless of their culture, country of origin, language, race, or ethnicity. With our participating providers like you, we work to meet the unique needs of our diverse membership through customized health-related information and services.
We can help when your practice has questions about delivering effective health services to these diverse populations.
For help serving members with limited English knowledge, low literacy proficiency, or sensory impairments, contact Member Services at 1-833-535-3767 (TTY 711), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
Cultural Awareness and Responsiveness Training Opportunities, Continuing Medical Education (CME) Credits, and Resources for Providers
Why cultural awareness and responsiveness are important
The cultural background of the members of your patient community can impact how they respond to, accept, and manage their health care needs. It can impact:
- Adherence to care plans
- Proactive health measures
- Unconscious biases
- Patient trust
As a service to our providers, we have curated a collection of no-cost CME-accredited classes and learning resources that support continuing education in this area. All courses have been vetted or recommended by leading best-practice organizations for practitioners and health care professionals.
No-cost training resources for CME
The Office of Minority Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offers the following accredited continuing education (CE) programs:
- A Physician's Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care, accredited for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists.
- Culturally Competent Nursing Care: A Cornerstone of Caring, accredited for nurses and social workers.
Both programs are accredited for CE credits and available online at no cost to participants.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health: Think Cultural Health Training
- Nine hours of CME credits offered.
- Certificate provided upon completion.
- Visit the Think Cultural Health Training website.
This online cultural competency training offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health is accredited for AMA PRA category 1 credit. You can earn up to nine no-cost CME credits (physicians and physician assistants) or nine contact hours (nurse practitioners), while exploring engaging cases and learning about cultural competency in health care.
The Fenway Institute: National LGBT Health Education Center
- CME credits offered.
- Various training topics — view list of offered trainings.
- Visit the National LGBT Health Education Center website.
The Health Education Center offers no-cost webinars, publications, and talks led by clinicians and leading researchers on providing supportive LGBTQ health care.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health: Improving Cultural Competence for Behavioral Health Professionals
- Four to five and a half contact hours for counselors, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. Other professionals may earn a statement of participation.
- Visit the Think Cultural Health website.
This e-learning program is designed to assist behavioral health professionals with increasing their cultural and linguistic competency.
Learning and supportive resources
The following resources are not available for continuing education credit; however, they are recommended resources for improving cultural responsiveness.
Georgetown University: National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) Distance Learning
- Free to access
- Various training topics
- Curricula and learning tools include relevant materials, articles, and publications, and provide users with instructional and self-discovery strategies
- Visit the NCCC Distance Learning website
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health literacy training
- Various health literacy topics
- Visit the CDC health literacy training website
National Institutes of Health: HealthReach multilingual patient education materials
- Various multilingual and multicultural health information and patient education materials.
- Visit the National Institutes of Health website.
Cultural competence for treating immigrant and refugee populations
- A collection of resources to help inform treatment for immigrant, refugee, and ethnic populations
- National Library of Medicine
- National Association of Social Workers
- American Psychological Association (PDF)
DiversityRx webinars
- Online training that includes audiovisual recordings, slides, and resources on cross-cultural health topics, NCQA standards, and best practices
- Visit the DiversityRx website
Health Resources and Services Administration health literacy resources
- Free online resources for health care professionals and students to help improve communication
- Visit the Health Resources and Services Administration's website.
American Public Health Association: Racism: Science & Tools for the Public Health Professional
- Educational resources to help you understand and address health inequities.
- Visit the American Public Health Association's website.
The Joint Commission: Health equity standards
- Patient-centered cultural competence communication resources that include tips for communicating health information
- Language Access and Interpreter Services — Understanding the Requirements
There are no standards that prohibit a bilingual practitioner from communicating directly with a patient in another language while providing care, treatment, or services. However, it is recommended that the organization has a process to make sure that communication with the patient in the non-English language is effective and meets the patient's needs.
University of Chicago
This course presents evidence-based best practices and practical strategies to help reduce disparities in health care quality. Designed for primary care providers, medical directors, and quality improvement directors.