This edition of California’s Healthline’s Think Tank features commentaries on the continuing importance of cultural competency in health care. In California, which has been a “majority minority” state since the late 1990s, communities of color account for about 60% of the population. With the Affordable Care Act adding as many as 30 million newly insured Americans to the system — up to three million in California — the need for health care providers who understand language and cultural differences will be greater than ever. The commentaries are from:
- Steven Green, President, California Academy of Family Physicians
- Ellen Wu, Executive Director, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
- Ignatius Bau, Health Policy Consultant, former Director of Culturally Competent Health Systems for The California Endowment
- Kimberly Chang, Clinic Director, Frank Kiang Medical Center, at Asian Health Services in Oakland
- Carmella Gutierrez, President, Californians for Patient Care
- Boris Kalanj, Senior Program Associate, California Health Care Safety Net Institute
Ignatius Bau 