Gloria Johnson-Powell, M.D., Sc.D., a leading national authority in
how higher education institutions can recruit more multicultural students,
was in Omaha recently to speak at the University of Nebraska Medical Center
and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Dr. Johnson-Powell, who is professor of child psychiatry at Harvard
Medical School, provided her insights on why it is important to have diversity
in the health-care setting. Her visit to Omaha was sponsored by UNMC.
“At no fault of their own, most Americans have the mentality that just
because someone is different, they are wrong,” Dr. Johnson-Powell said.
She has devoted her career to researching cultural differences and teaching
health care professionals how to prepare for the differences in a medical
setting.
“Our population is becoming rapidly more culturally diverse now, more
than ever in American history,” she said.
Dr. Johnson-Powell said this immigration is known as the browning of
America. Because immigrants are migrating from eastern countries, Americans
often are unfamiliar with the customs of the immigrant’s culture.
“While traveling in other countries, I experienced first-hand the differences
between cultures. Each one has its own system of values and beliefs and
without a sufficient understanding of the differences, we will easily clash
cultures,” she said.
When treating patients, Dr. Johnson-Powell said, they had different
concepts of why they were ill and what would make them better.
“In any given case, everyone involved may be working in the best interest
of the patient. However, because of a misunderstanding of cultural differences,
the patient will suffer,” she said.
By speaking to institutions such as UNMC, Dr. Johnson-Powell hopes to
heighten the awareness of cultural differences. She challenges them to
train individuals to understand and care for all cultures.
“At UCLA, we developed a transcultural fellowship that gave students
the opportunity to practice medicine in a different cultural setting,”
she said.
Dr. Johnson-Powell said research is surfacing on cultural diversity
and hopes that health care professionals will take the necessary time to
educate themselves.
Also well known for her work with child abuse, she co-wrote “The Lasting
Effects of Child Sexual Abuse” with Dr. Gail Wyatt in 1987. Additionally,
she has lectured about the effects of poverty and violence on children
and adolescents.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has
established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research
and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than $34 million in
research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually.
In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more
health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.