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Leaping the Language Barrierby Graciela Gutierrez It looks like any other afternoon at the Ripley House community center, groups of people chatting and children playing games, but beneath the surface is a cross-cultural lesson. One that will result in better health care for Houston's growing Hispanic population. Among the regulars of the community center are School of Allied Health Science students in the physician assistant (PA) program at Baylor College of Medicine. They are taking part in an elective Spanish language course where the majority of lessons are taught by the senior citizens and children who attend the center. Dr. Guadalupe Quintanilla, associate professor of modern and classical languages at the University of Houston, helped develop the program with Baylor College of Medicine. The class teaches more than just the language, it helps students understand different backgrounds and makes health care more accessible to as many people as possible. "Communication is a key to health care," said Carl Fasser, director and associate professor of the physician assistant program. "And with Latinos as the fastest growing ethnic group in the country and Houston, learning the language is important to the type of care they receive." The Cross Cultural Communication Track is a 15-day emersion course that teaches PA students conversational Spanish including medical terms. The classes are held at the Ripley House in east Houston because of the area's large Hispanic population. Even though the class lasts just three weeks during the student's normal vacation time, students who didn't know Spanish say they leave well-prepared. "After the class, I was able to take medical histories with patients and do physicals more effectively," said Travis Grant, third-year PA student. Second-year PA student Amy Tough said, "When I started my rotation at Ben Taub's ER, I was able to use Spanish more than half of the time." Not only do they learn from those who attend the center, they also take trips out to the community. One such trip is to a curandero. In the Hispanic culture, curanderos are healers who use herbs and other homemade remedies to treat illness. It's important for students to learn how some members of other cultures deal with illness. "Everyone deserves respect and the same opportunity to be healthy," Tough said. "The type of medical help you receive shouldn't depend on where you're from or your language." |
Patient CarePutting the Pieces Together: Megan's Story When Baby Heart Patients Grow Up Saying Goodnight to Sleeping Pills ResearchFrom a Sister's Illness... A Cancer Crusade EducationCommunity ServiceAlumni & DevelopmentBRASS Connections Help Students Soar College NewsPhysician Hall of Fame: College Receives One-of-a-Kind Signature Collection
People Working Together to Achieve Greatness
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Volume 3, Issue 1, Spring 2007 |
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| Last modified: October 10, 2008 |