Jinny Bromberg presents at NAANA convention
The Buzz:  This was one NOT to Miss!

On October 9 and 10, 2008, the National Arab American Nurses Association held its Inaugural Convention at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. Three hundred healthcare professionals from all over the country attended over the two days.

All six of the nationally and internationally renowned keynote speakers focused their remarks on “Building Cultural Bridges in Health Care: Strength in Diversity.” It was a marvelous way to experience the high caliber of speaker and the variety of their topics.

Dr. Kimberly Dawn Wisdom, Surgeon General for the State of Michigan, kicked off Day 1 as she took attendees on a “Journey to Cultural Competence.”

Dr. Adawale Troutman, Director of Louisville Public Health and Wellness, discussed “Tackling Health Inequities: A Team Approach.”

Dr. Larry Purnell, Professor of Nursing, University of Delaware, and creator of the Purnell Model of Cultural Competence, topped the Thursday morning plenary sessions with questions that challenged to develop “Organizational Cultural Competence.” He spoke passionately about importance of language services in healthcare.

Donna Skurzak, Director of Diversity Programs and Regional Hospitals at Cleveland Clinic, informed attendees about “The Foundation of Cross-Cultural Communication” as she kicked off Friday’s program.

Dr. Gottfried Oosterwal, Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, and Director, Center for Intercultural Relations, demonstrated “Micro-inequities in the Healthcare Setting” and challenged attendees to be mindful of unintended yet hurtful gestures and comments involving people of different cultures.

Dr. Nena Peragallo, Dean and Professor, School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, shared her “Healthcare Research among Diverse Communities,” particularly among Latinas.

Jinny Bromberg of Bromberg & Associates found herself in this esteemed company when she conducted her presentation “Non-English Speaking patients: knowing the law and serving their needs” on Friday afternoon. There she talked about federal mandates and requirements regarding linguistic access to services for people with limited English proficiency. She also spent some time discussing the art of medical interpreting, language service options available to the healthcare organizations today and the importance of their proper implementation with the goal of the patients’ safety and satisfaction in mind.

The timing of the convention was excellent: with over 12% of Southeast Michigan population speaking language other than English at home, the need for cultural competency in healthcare has never been more pertinent.

BTW, the NAANA News is kindly providing a direct links to all of those outstanding presentations on the NAANA web site.

If you are affiliated with a hospital or any other type of medical practice that has translation needs, contact Bromberg & Associates Translation Agency for interpreters who work with over 60 languages locally and 150 languages worldwide. Call (313) 871-0080.