Lutheran Medical Center Opens Brooklyn's First Chinese Health Care Unit: Tailoring a new culturally competent approach to health care

Brooklyn, NY September 24, 2004 -- New York’s Chinese community, the city’s fastest growing ethnic population (according the 2000 Census), has a brand new health care option – a specialized unit at Lutheran Medical Center designed to meet their unique health needs. The new unit offers the most patient friendly and culturally sensitive health care environment available, complete with full-time bilingual Chinese-American staff catering to patients’ health needs around-the-clock. Making this new advancement even more critical is the fact that Sunset Park, Lutheran’s main catchment area, contains the largest Asian population in Brooklyn. According to the N.Y.C. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Community Health Profile, Asian immigrants account for more than 25 percent of the Sunset Park population.

“Manhattan, and Brooklyn especially, are large cultural melting pots. As our neighborhoods and communities change, so must our hospitals,” says Wendy Goldstein, president and chief executive officer. “For over 120 years, Lutheran has been New York’s leader in community medicine and multi-cultural initiatives. With this new specialized unit, Lutheran continues its tradition of serving its immediate community in the most effective way possible,” she added.

Two years ago Lutheran opened a family health center in Brooklyn’s bustling “Chinatown,” the second largest concentration of Chinese-Americans in New York City. Doctors, physicians and health care staff quickly recognized a need in the Chinese community for more acute care services that a Medical Center like Lutheran could provide. “The challenge for most Chinese immigrants seeking medical care is simply the time consuming trip to Manhattan,” says Henry Mui, director of the Brooklyn Chinese Family Health Center. “By developing a dedicated Chinese unit we are providing the local community with an attractive alternative.”

The Basic Facts:
· A new six-bed cluster in the medical center’s main medical unit
· Bilingual and multilingual doctors and medical staff available 24 hours a day who can communicate directly with patients in Mandarin, Cantonese and English
· Chinese meals prepared by a Chinese cook
· Chinese-speaking patient representatives and social workers available to discuss special needs related or even unrelated to health care
· All non-Chinese speaking staff have received training on Chinese culture and health beliefs
· Chinese artwork and color schemes offering a more comfortable and culturally sensitive environment of care

The Benefits:
· Health care staff will also be aware of illnesses that Chinese patients are more likely to have such as hypertension, diabetes, and hepatitis B and provide appropriate tests and treatment
· A Chinese cook can prepare meals that Chinese patients will prefer
· The unit offers the most culturally sensitive and comfortable environment possible
· Chinese-speaking patients are paired with Chinese-speaking health care providers
· Bilingual and multilingual help is available without the need to call interpreters which can take time away from care

Illness and hospitals can cause anxiety, depression, anger and even loneliness for patients. Providing medical treatment in a patient’s own language combined with an understanding of their cultural beliefs and customs, can significantly enhance their progress. Immigrant groups arrive in the U.S. with different experiences and health care beliefs. For example, standard tests such as taking temperature and drawing blood can be new concepts. Additionally, in keeping with the yin and yang concepts of balance and harmony, it’s customary for Chinese patients to avoid cold drinks while they are sick. “Being admitted to a hospital means different things to different people,” says Virginia Tong, vice president for Cultural Competence. “At Lutheran, we are taking cultural competence beyond interpretation or translation services and truly incorporating it into our approach to health care.”

A Level One Trauma Center and Stroke Center, Lutheran Medical Center has cared for the citizens of Brooklyn since 1883. Providing medicine, surgery, intensive care, coronary care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and emergency services among others, Lutheran Medical Center is the hub of Lutheran HealthCare, a network of primary, acute and long-term services dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the people of Brooklyn. In addition to the medical center, Lutheran HealthCare includes Lutheran Augustana Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation, a 240-bed skilled nursing facility, Lutheran Home Care, Shore Hill and Harbor Hill Housing and Lutheran Family Health Centers.

Neal Gorman
718-630-8316 (w)
917-269-0397 (p)
ngorman@lmcmc.com





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