What do you think? (Q#3)

Can Daniel Hounchell's public utility funding model eliminate discrimination? Why/Why not? Discuss how health care funding presents barriers and opportunities to equal access.

What do you think? (Q#2)

What recommendations do you have for challenging business necessity arguments for discriminatory practices such as moving hospitals from minority intensive neighborhoods?

What do you think? (Q#1)

What options do States have for enforcing accountability and ensurring non-discrimination in conjunction with Title VI? Can other states implement programs similar to that in California? Why or why not?

Reading List for Second Webinar

1. Health Care Divided By David Barton Smith
Buy Health Care Divided from Amazon.com
2. Dying While Black By Vernellia Randall
Buy Dying While Black from Amazon.com
3. Ensuring Linguistic Access By Doreena Wong
Buy Ensuring Linguistic Access from Amazon.com
4. Facts about patient-centered communications from The Joint Commission
a. Hospitals, Language, and Culture
b. One Size Does Not Fit All: Diverse Populations Pose Special Health Needs
c. What Did the Doctor Say?: Improving Health Literacy to Protect Patient Safety

Languages spoken in your neighborhoods

During the section on language and health care, Ms. Wong mentioned the importance of knowing what languages are spoken in your communities to ensure that you have the ability to meet the needs of all. Not sure where to find the information? Try the US Census Bureau!

The 2000 Census Summary File 3 has block group data on languages spoken at home (tables P19 and P20, PCT10 through PCT14, PCT62). PCT10 provides the most thorough description of the actual languages spoken at home. The other tables generally use a broader classification (Indo-European languages, Asian and Pacific Island languages, Spanish).

Summary File 3 will also show by race (P6), place of birth by citzenship status (P21), and year of entry for foreign-born population (P22). It is important to remember that the Census Bureau does not list "Hispanic" as a separate race, but rather as an ethnicity. A person can be Hispanic but counted as White or African American. If you need to know data for Hispanics living in your communities, be sure to choose tables that indicate this such as "Hispanic or Latino by Race" (P7).

Why use a block group or Census tract to find your data rather than a zip code? The block group is a smaller geographic area than the Census tract which is generally smaller than the zip code.

Need help finding your block group or Census tract? This handout can help:
Finding Data from the Census Bureau

The 2005 & 2006 American Community Survey also have data on languages spoken at home but only down to the county level for all states. There is subcounty level and school district level data for select states as well.

If you haven't taken the time to explore the vast wealth of data at the Census Bureau, now is a good time. You might find out that you have more Laotian speakers than you realized!

Current Assessment of Civil Rights in Health Care-- 2nd webinar

A big thanks goes out to our speakers for the session on Current Assessment of Civil Rights in Health Care. The presentation was timely and thought provoking.

Here's the link if you couldn't attend the session or you would like to listen to the session again:
Current Assessment of Health Care Webinar Recording

Dr. Randall and Ms. Wong have both agreed to allow me to post the links to their presentations as well.
Dr. Randall's PowerPoint presentation:
Current Assessment of Health Care and Civil Rights

Ms. Wong's PowerPoint presentation:
Language Access and Health Care

Please feel free to post comments, questions, or suggestions for follow-up presentations.