Healthcare providers in the Rio Grande Valley are invited to attend the Healthcare Alternatives for Culturally Competent Providers Conference on Saturday, Aug. 26 at the South Texas College Nursing and Allied Health (NAH) Center located at 1101 E. Vermont in McAllen from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event, sponsored by STC's Nursing & Allied Health Center of Excellence, affiliated with the Milagros Center of Excellence in Migrant Health, and the University of Texas Branch Dysplasia & Cancer Stop Clinic in McAllen, is mostly funded by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute located in Washington, DC.

According to the United States Department of Health & Human Services, the population of minorities and ethnicities in the country continues to grow and because of this, there is a need for healthcare workers to pay greater attention to the cultural and linguistic differences of these groups to provide a better quality of care. This conference will introduce medical professionals to new and complementary therapeutic methods used by healthcare practitioners today to address these issues. Participants will gain knowledge about cultural competencies and methods for better relating to those in minorities or different ethnicities. Factors that impact participants' personal ability to provide culturally competent care will also be explored.

"Because we live in an area heavily populated by minorities, as well as those from a variety of ethnicities, we have become very aware of the need to integrate a knowledge of the local culture and minority backgrounds into our training practices," said Dores Jay-Pang, director of the Milagros Center of Excellence for STC. "We know that healthcare practitioners need to understand the motivations and the values of the community they serve and that is why we are offering special events like the conference on August 26th. We want to take an active role in preparing and training healthcare providers to be cognizant of their patients and respect their beliefs and values during the treatment process. Our mission is to ensure that our healthcare workforce is adequately prepared to help reduce racial and ethnic health disparities."

Many renowned practitioners are confirmed to address the audience at this event. Speakers include:

The Center of Excellence applied to the Texas Nurses Association to provide 10 CNEs for this event. Approval for CMEs is pending. Through the Texas Department of State Health Services licensing, nine CEUs will be provided to other professionals.

For more information about the conference or to find out about attendance, please visit http://www.southtexascollege.edu/milagros/index.html.