Resources to support diverse patients and communities

Our goal is to create and source materials to help support care providers understand and address the diverse needs of patients while maintaining professionalism, trust, and respect. Health equity means everyone has the opportunity to reach their highest level of health, and barriers must be removed.

How do cultural factors influence a person's approach to illness and healthcare?

Culture, including behaviors, language, beliefs, and values, shapes an individual's approach to illness. Experiences, education, and spiritual beliefs also play a role. Patients may perceive illness differently than healthcare providers. Recognizing these differences can improve health outcomes while ignoring them can lead to misunderstandings and non‑compliance.

How can we address health disparities?

Health disparities refer to differences in health outcomes linked to unequal social, economic, and environmental opportunities.¹ Achieving health equity and optimal health outcomes involves eliminating barriers related to race, ethnicity, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, and geographic location.² Addressing these disparities fosters healthier communities, enhances quality of life, and supports economic growth by creating a more productive and resilient population. It is essential to meet people where they are in their health journeys and provide tailored healthcare access to address patients' unique needs, and we are committed to supporting our providers in this effort.

Cultural competency resources

You can find cultural competency resources available on our provider website:

• Cultural Competency and Patient Engagement:
• A training resource to increase cultural and disability competency to help effectively support the health and healthcare needs of all your patients.
• Caring for Diverse Populations Toolkit:
• A comprehensive resource to help providers and office staff increase effective communication by enhancing knowledge of the values, beliefs, and needs of all patients.
• My Diverse Patients:
• Offers resources, information, and techniques to help provide the individualized care every patient deserves regardless of background.
• The site also includes learning experiences on topics related to cultural competency and disparities that offer free continuing medical education (CME) credit.
• Free accessibility from any device (desktop computer, laptop, phone, or tablet) with no account or login required.
• While there is no single, easy answer to address healthcare disparities, the vision of My Diverse Patients is to start improving outcomes one person at a time.

To access these resources, go to the provider website > Resources > Training Academy.

Our provider manual also has details about available resources and how to access them.

Prevalent non‑English languages (based on population data)

Like you, we want to effectively serve the needs of diverse patients. We must all be aware of the cultural and linguistic needs of our communities, so we are sharing recent data about the top 15 non‑English languages spoken by 5% or 1,000 individuals in the state.³

Language support services

We provide free language assistance services for our members with limited English proficiency (LEP) or hearing, speech, or visual impairments.

Telephone interpreters

During business hours, providers can call Provider Services to connect to an interpreter on behalf of the member. After business hours, call the 24/7 NurseLine on the back of a member ID card.

Face‑to‑face interpreters

If you would like to request an interpreter, including sign language, on behalf of your patient, please call Provider Services. Three business days are required to schedule services, and 24 business hours are required to cancel.

TTY and relay services

For members with hearing or speech loss, members may call the TTY line on the back of a member ID card or 711. After business hours, they should call the 24/7 NurseLine.

Leverage the knowledge, skills, values, strategies, and techniques available to foster a trusted partnership with your patients. Access these resources today to enhance your shared journey in healthcare.