October 2024

Update from the CCHCP Executive Director

Hello friends, colleagues, and partners of CCHCP! We have a lot of information to share with you in this newsletter. You may have heard that I will be retiring as the Executive Director of CCHCP, and our board is engaged in a search for the new CCHCP leader. I encourage you to share the information about the position with your network about this awesome job. Having the opportunity to work with you, to advance CCHCP’s health equity mission, and to work with a fantastic team of people has been a tremendous honor for me, and I look forward to continuing to support CCHCP’s mission when the transition to a new executive director takes place.

In other news, I’m delighted to let you know that Jasmine Matchawate has joined our team as the new Equity & Inclusion Programs Coordinator. Jasmine is a recent graduate of the University of Washington, and her community-centered work includes the cultural preservation of the Southeast Asian community. 

We have our schedule of our 2025 Language Access courses published, including both our medical interpreting and cultural navigator/patient guide courses. This year we partnered with the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment to develop a new course - Cultural Navigator in Public Health. Our next course is in early November, and you can read more about it in this newsletter and on our website. We are also happy to be providing a new workshop from our Equity & Inclusion team on inclusive team collaboration (Transforming Team Collaboration) with the next one scheduled for December. We also are launching a new workshop on Human-Centered Design Thinking for Health Care & Human Services in November. Stay tuned for our new training on Allyship that will be debuting soon! 

We’ve all been hearing a lot about AI in the health care space, and in this newsletter, we have a couple of articles on AI in Health Equity and in Language Access, plus several links to recent articles on AI and health equity. We also have information on resources for health care professionals on obstructive sleep apnea in this newsletter. For the past 3 years, CCHCP has been a partner in the Count on Sleep awareness campaign. Last but not least, CCHCP is proud to note that we were among the first organizations that took the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) pledge - Equity Starts Locally.

Thank you and always feel free to contact me at paulina@xculture.org!

Welcome Jasmine

We recently welcomed Jasmine Matchawate (she/her) as our new Equity and Inclusion Programs Coordinator. She graduated from the University of Washington this past June with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. With a strong focus on community-centered work, Jasmine is passionate about advocating for marginalized groups, emphasizing cultural preservation in the Southeast Asian community and applying anti-racist frameworks to amplify oppressed voices. Passionate about creative storytelling and accessible resources, she is dedicated to fostering inclusive environments that promote equity and cross-cultural understanding. We're excited to have her on our team!

Read her full bio on our website.

How AI Could Help Reduce Inequities in Health Care

AI tools in health care have the potential to address significant health inequities by improving patient outreach, communication, and access to resources. By leveraging data to identify at-risk patients, enhance communication, and increase diversity in clinical trials, AI can facilitate better care for vulnerable populations. However, achieving these benefits requires a commitment to equity in design, financing models, and implementation strategies to ensure that innovations do not leave disadvantaged patients behind.

AI: A Catalyst for Health Equity in Diverse Communities

 AI is transforming health care for diverse communities by personalizing care, improving access, and enhancing disease prevention. Its effective implementation relies on inclusive development, building community trust, and collaboration with local providers. This approach aims to bridge health disparities and ensure equitable outcomes.

Promoting Cultural Inclusivity in Health Care Artificial Intelligence: A Framework for Ensuring Diversity

AI in health care offers opportunities for improved care but poses challenges related to cultural diversity and bias. A proposed framework emphasizes cultural competence, fairness, and ethical guidelines for informed consent. By prioritizing these principles, stakeholders can develop inclusive AI solutions that effectively meet the needs of diverse populations.

These AI-Powered Nonprofits Are Making Health Care More Equitable and Effective

AI-powered nonprofits (APNs) are revolutionizing health care access and quality by using AI to analyze complex data, enhance health care worker efficiency, and empower patients, while addressing issues often neglected by for-profit organizations. Key recommendations for nonprofits include focusing on enhancing human efforts with AI, prioritizing ethical practices, and ensuring diverse, context-appropriate training data to avoid reinforcing existing inequities.

Deploying AI? Health Care Leaders Must First Consider Cybersecurity and Equity

Artificial intelligence is poised to transform health care by refining patient treatments, addressing workforce shortages, and accelerating research, but its adoption faces challenges related to cybersecurity and equity. The industry requires a stronger cybersecurity framework to protect sensitive data, necessitating federal support and the establishment of sector-specific standards. Additionally, equitable access and outcomes must be prioritized, as AI has the potential to either mitigate or exacerbate health disparities, highlighting the need for collaboration among regulatory bodies, the private sector, and the public.

Sleep Apnea Awareness Resources for Health Care Professionals

CCHCP has been a proud partner in the Count on Sleep obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) collaborative awareness project for the last three years. Funded through a CDC Chronic Disease Awareness Grant, this project has communicated the importance of recognizing, diagnosing, and treating obstructive sleep apnea to millions of people including health care professionals and people most affected by undiagnosed sleep apnea. Resources for health care professionals, including a free CME webinar and practice algorithms, are available to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of OSA, and public tools, including a self-assessment quiz and conversation guide, are available for the public to recognize and talk to their health care professional about OSA. 

Learn more at www.countonsleep.org.