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Forum to address lack of diversity in healthcare field

Efforts to increase diversity in the healthcare industry, and obstacles to achieving it, will be the topic of a free symposium at Sacramento State from 8 a.m. to noon, Friday, April 21 in the University Union Redwood Room. Breakfast will be provided.

The conference will address such issues as obstacles to diversification and practices used to increase diversity, and feature experts in the areas of education and healthcare. The keynote speech by Kevin Grumbach, director of the Center for Workforce Studies at UC San Francisco, will be at 8:30 a.m.

Advocates warn that when culturally competent care is not provided to patients of color, serious consequences can occur such as poor adherence to treatment regimens, delay in seeking care because of mistrust or misunderstanding, or refusal of recommended services. Studies show that healthcare providers of color increase access to care in minority communities and may improve communication, patient satisfaction and use of preventive services among patients of color. Yet people of color are under-represented in the healthcare professions and in programs to prepare future healthcare professionals.

To register, complete the form at www.drcenter.org.

The event is sponsored by the Discrimination Research Center, the College of Health and Human Services, the Serna Center, the California Wellness Foundation and Panera Bread.

For more information, contact the University’s College of Health and Human Services at (916) 278-3551.