The MMA is dedicated to eliminating racial, ethnic, and cultural health disparities in Minnesota. To achieve that end, the MMA supports efforts that help physicians and patients overcome cultural, racial, and linguistic barriers to quality health care. The MMA's Minority and Cross-Cultural Affairs Committee identifies and examines problems encountered by minority citizens in accessing health care and other factors that prevent minority citizens from achieving high levels of care.
Minnesota demographics and racial disparities
Minnesota is ranked as one of the healthiest states in the nation. However, the state’s minority populations generally suffer worse health outcomes. According to a 2007 Commonwealth Fund report, Minnesota ranked 15th in terms of health care system performance, but 38th in the care of its most vulnerable residents (minorities, people with low incomes, the uninsured). This is a concern given that Minnesota is becoming more ethnically and racially diverse.
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Minnesota State Demographic Center
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Medical interpretation
Communication problems have been shown to cause diagnostic errors and medication errors. Physicians need access to high-quality interpreter services and financial support to provide those services. The foreign languages most commonly spoken in Minnesota are Arabic, Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Oromo, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
Tips on working with an interpreter:
- Make sure that you are working with a qualified interpreter and not a family member or friend.
- Face the patient and talk to him/her, as if you both speak the same language, and ask one question at a time. Remember that the interpreter is required to interpret everything said in the room, such as curse words, side conversations, and ‘irrelevant’ or repetitive comments.
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Minnesota State Demographic Center
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CLAS standards
The MMA's Minority and Cross-Cultural Affairs Committee works to educate providers about the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards to make their practices more culturally and linguistically accessible. These 14 national standards are organized by the three themes: culturally competent care, language access services, and organizational support for cultural competence. The federal government requires providers to follow those standards related to language access.