The Briar Cliff University Center for Interprofessional Education, Practice, and Scholarship recently hosted a conference on “Achieving Cultural Awareness in Health Care” on April 12th in Sioux City, Iowa. The conference emphasized the importance of providing evidence-based care to culturally diverse populations, with healthcare practitioners, educators, and community members eager to deepen their knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare.
One of the key highlights of the conference was an exploration of healthcare needs for refugees. Speakers from organizations such as the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Lutheran Services in Iowa, Mary J. Treglia Community House, and Catholic Charities led engaging sessions on various aspects of refugee healthcare.
Attendees were treated to informative presentations on topics such as the basics of refugee status and the first 90 days of resettlement, overseas and domestic health screening processes for refugees, medical needs of refugees, mental health services and programs for refugees, and the lived experience of former refugees through a panel discussion and Q&A session.
Soren Grieve, Assistant Professor for Health Sciences at Briar Cliff University expressed satisfaction with the success of the conference stating that “the event has empowered the community to take meaningful steps towards reducing health disparities and ensuring equitable access to quality care for all”.
The conference concluded with participants leaving with valuable insights that they can apply in their professional and community work to promote cultural awareness in healthcare.
