Project Grant GE146327

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - NON-CONSTRUCTION - CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL COLORADO'S BLACK HEALTH INITIATIVE (BHI) HAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED A FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE BLACK PATIENT AND FAMILY EXPERIENCES AND HEALTH OUTCOMES. BORNE OUT OF THE CRUCIAL NEED TO HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS' EXPERIENCES INFORM HOW HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ADDRESS ISSUES OF HEALTHY EQUITY IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS, BHI PARTNERED WITH THE CENTER FOR ADVANCING PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE (CAPE) WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO DEVELOP PROVIDER TRAININGS THAT IMMERSE PROVIDERS IN SIMULATED SCENARIOS DEVELOPED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THESE TRAININGS ARE AN EFFORT TO SHINE A LIGHT ON THE CHALLENGES THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN FACE IN CLINICAL SETTINGS, AND BRIDGE THE GAPS THAT CAN RESULT IN NEGATIVE PATIENT EXPERIENCES AND POOR PATIENT OUTCOMES. BY ENGAGING PROVIDERS IN PRACTICE-BASED SIMULATED VISITS, PROVIDERS ARE IMMERSED IN SITUATIONS THAT INCREASE THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE NEEDS OF THEIR PATIENTS, WHILE BUILDING THEIR SKILLS AROUND HOW TO MEANINGFULLY ADDRESS THEIR PATIENTS' NEEDS IN A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MANNER. WITH THE SIMULATED SCENARIO TRAINING, THE ESSENTIAL BENEFIT IS INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PROVIDERS THAT HAVE ENHANCED SKILLS TO DELIVER CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CARE, WHICH NOT ONLY WORKS TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES, BUT ALSO IMPROVES QUALITY OF CARE ACROSS ALL PATIENT POPULATIONS. THE TRAINING IS THEREFORE AN ESPECIALLY GOOD USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDING, AND SUPPORTING THIS TRAINING AT THIS FORMATIVE JUNCTURE WILL HELP ENSURE THAT IT IS EXPANDED, AND ITS IMPACT MAXIMIZED. UP TO 36 RESIDENTS AND 32 PROVIDERS, PAIRED WITH COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, WILL BE TRAINED THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE. OVER TIME, AS THESE PROVIDERS COLLECTIVELY SEE AND TREAT HUNDREDS OF PATIENTS A DAY, MANY OF WHOM ARE RACIAL MINORITIES LIVING IN AURORA, THEIR TRAINING WILL BE ENSURING THAT CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CARE BENEFITS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AURORA RESIDENTS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.