Cultural Diversity In Health Care

The United States of America has been deemed the “Melting Pot” because of the multiculturalism and how the different cultures come together to make one homogenous mixture. The many faces of cultural diversity include racial classification, national origin, religious affiliation, language, physical size, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, political orientation, socio-economic status, occupational status and geographical location. Diversity is what make us unique, and it is the sole thing that makes America the beautiful country that it is. Although America is recognized as being one of the most diverse places in the world, there are many institutions that don’t recognize or cater to the minorities that live here. Everything from the way that the government is ran to how health care is administered is catered to well-off white people. Because of the evolving demographics and economics of our growing multicultural world and the long-standing disparities in the health status of people from culturally diverse backgrounds,

Diversity in the health professions is vital in order to eliminate disproportions in the quality and availability of health care for underserved populations. Increasing the diversity of health professionals has a direct and positive affect on healthcare. The health professionals from racial and ethnic minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely than others to serve those same populations, thereby improving access to care for vulnerable populations and in turn, improving health outcomes. In addition, increasing the number of racial and ethnic minority health professionals contributes to better patient-practitioner relationships. Patients that can identify with their doctor will improve quality of communication, comfort level, and