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Enrollment is now under way for Culture Matters, a new training program designed to reduce health care disparities by improving physicians' understanding of patients with different cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds.

The program is offered by Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG), Arizona's Medicare quality improvement organization, and is available at no charge to primary care physicians who serve Medicare beneficiaries in Arizona. It is funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Culture Matters is a component of HSAG's work on behalf of CMS to advance "transformational change" in Arizona by enhancing providers' ability to deliver the right care to every patient every time, with the care meeting the six aims of the Institute of Medicine: safe, timely, patient-centered, effective, efficient, and equitable.

Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists who take part in the program may receive up to nine Category 1 CMEs (continuing medical education credits) from the American Medical Association. Participation in Culture Matters may also help physicians meet cultural competency requirements set by their respective health plans.

The program's goals include:

• Increasing a physician's awareness of how attitudes, beliefs, biases, and behaviors impact clinical care.
• Educating physicians about the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards.
• Providing resources to help organizations address cultural competency and improve language access for all patients, including online connections to state and national data and reports.

An early participant in the program is St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic in Tucson. St. Elizabeth provides medical and dental care each year to more than 42,000 individuals who are uninsured or underserved.

"Two areas we are working on include expanding our knowledge of cultural diversity and exploring and understanding the literacy needs of our patients," said Nancy Metzger, executive director. "This opportunity with HSAG is great in that it provides some support for our goals. In addition, we are enjoying the resources HSAG has been forwarding our way."

A key partner in Culture Matters is the Center for Minority Health within the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). The Center is a leader in helping build networks to reduce health disparities.

According to the ADHS report Differences in the Health Status Among Ethnic Groups, Arizona 2003, African-Americans in the state ranked lowest in overall health status, followed by Native-Americans. Additionally, the 2000 U.S. Census indicated that Arizona will experience significant shifts in population through 2025, including a gain of 276,000 people through international migration; a population growth of 66 percent among non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific-Islanders; and a growth of 138 percent among Hispanics. All of this underscores the need to improve cultural competency.

Suncerria Tillis, manager of the ADHS Center for Minority Health explained why they support the Culture Matters program.

"To truly see improvements in the health status of vulnerable populations, we need to ensure that our health system is equipped with the soft skills and protocols to effectively engage the diversity of patients in Arizona," she said. "Educating and supporting providers using the Culture Matters program is a vital step in getting us there."

For more information on HSAG's Culture Matters program and how to join, visit www.hsag.com/culture_matters.