Article: Language Course Helps Hospital Staff Become More Hospitable

HR Magazine, February 2002, Vol. 47, No. 2

Employers who talk about managing diversity are generally talking about diversity within their own workforces. But a hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., is taking its diversity-mindedness a step further with a program designed to improve the quality of health care it provides to Hispanic patients.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the hospital’s Community Health Promotion Program are currently offering their employees a five-week Spanish language course and basic training in Hispanic culture. The effort is aimed at helping employees who provide patient care services and do not speak Spanish. The training focuses on Spanish medical terms and what people of Hispanic descent expect from health care providers. (For more on companies’ initiatives for Hispanic employees and customers, see the December 2000 HR Magazine article “Southern Hospitality Assimilates Hispanic Workers.”)
“Although the hospital does have translators available for many different languages, this new training course is an excellent way to heighten the cultural sensitivity of our staff,” says John Regina, senior vice president of human resources for the hospital. “This new program enables the hospital staff to develop a more personalized relationship with patients, which can ultimately improve patient satisfaction.”

One section of the training course focuses on diet and nutrition matters concerning Hispanics. “A better understanding of the primary language and eating habits really gives us the opportunity to provide better care for our patients in a respectful and knowledgeable manner,” says Mariam Merced, director of the hospital’s Community Health Promotion Program.

—Bill Leonard