The nation’s immigrant population is no longer just on the rise. The tide is in and the number of immigrants in the United States brings a new set of challenges for health care professionals, in addition to the health disparities minorities already face.
To address the issue of the health care needs of the Latino population, the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Center for Continuing Education, in collaboration with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals which provided a $30,000 grant, is hosting a special conference dedicated to Latino needs.
The conference, "Latino Health Issues for Primary Care Providers: Achieving Better Health Outcomes," May 24-25, at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 555 S. 10th St., in Omaha, looks at achieving better health results, through greater community outreach, including understanding and acceptance of some traditional Latino health beliefs and treatments.
The conference is aimed at health professionals with the goal of educating the medical community about the social and cultural aspects of health care among the Latino population in Nebraska.
"Hopefully what this will do is open a dialogue regarding these topics and get people thinking about these issues," said Rubens Pamies, M.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNMC. "Educating health care providers about cultural competency is one way to reduce health disparities.
"Health care providers need to understand the important role culture plays in facilitating a successful outcome for their patient’s health," he said. "We know that if a patient has a good visit with his doctor then he is more likely to follow the treatment protocol recommended and go back to the doctor for follow-up care."
The reason the conference is aimed at health professionals is to help the medical community understand the social and cultural aspects of health care among the growing Hispanic population in Nebraska. Between 1990 and 2000 the Hispanic population in the state grew by more than 150 percent and is now the largest minority group in Nebraska.
"This conference will cover such topics as health beliefs, women’s health issues and infectious disease," said Tina Flores, M.D., an assistant professor of family medicine at UNMC.
Between 1990 and 2000 the Latino population in Nebraska grew by more than 150 percent and is now the largest minority group in the state, Dr. Flores said.
The Latino conference will feature a segment on the use of curanderas or healers and the kinds of self-treatments being used by the Latino population. Other issues being covered include: diabetes and behavioral strategies for prevention, working with Latino elders and immigrants and tuberculosis. The conference also will focus on women and children and cover such issues as screening for breast cancer and lead poisoning, oral health and preventative medicine.
"Hopefully in a day-and-a-half we can get to most of these," Dr. Flores said, adding that the committee also would like to videotape the conference and send it to primary care providers in rural Nebraska.
UNMC members of the planning committee include: Jose Romero, M.D., professor, pediatrics-infectious disease; Aura Whitney-Jackson, South Omaha community liaison, Community Partnership; Paul Paulman, M.D., professor, family medicine; Diana Lough, Ph.D., assistant professor, family medicine; Patricia Aoun, M.D., assistant professor, pathology/microbiology; and Lourdes Gouveia, Ph.D., chair of Latino studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
For more information about either conference or to register, contact Brenda Ram, 559-9250 or via e-mail: bram@unmc.edu.