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IN OUR COMMUNITY
how to best manage their resources. They are working to establish a bridge to care for people getting out of prison.
“We also support women from preconception to postpartum,” she said. “Planned pregnancies really make a difference in the pathway of life.”
Following her talk, Lopez joined a panel discussion with three Christiana Care
experts who work closely with the Hispanic community: Jacqueline Ortiz, M.Phil, director of Cultural Competency, Health Equity and Language Services; Adrian Quesada-Rojas, M.D., an obstetrician/gynecologist; and Margot Savoy, M.D., MPH, medical director of Family and Community Medicine.
Their conversation focused on diabetes in the Hispanic community. Christiana Care has set a strategic goal for fiscal year 2018 to collaborate across the organization in a focused way to improve diagnoses and care for people with diabetes.
Ortiz said it’s essential to understand a patient’s culture in establishing a plan of care. For example, she pointed out that it's common for diabetes education materials to be illustrated with images of foods like sliced bread, corn on the cob and baked potatoes — none of which are common in many Latino diets. To help Hispanic patients with diabetes to understand what changes they need to make in their diet, it's important to ensure they can actually understand and relate to the educational materials they are given.
In one instance, during a video interpretation, Ortiz learned that a diabetic patient didn’t understand a number of issues related to managing her diabetes, including how much medication to take to what foods to eat.
“From her description of her diet, I could tell she had no idea what fats, carbohydrates or proteins are or which foods to choose,” she said. “We have to address where the patient is coming from before we can deliver high-quality care.”
Dr. Savoy noted that diabetes impacts care across the continuum, from home health nurses who dress wounds to pharmacists who deal with medications. Collaboration is key. She
50%
or more of Hispanics are expected to develop diabetes at some point
in their lives, compared to 40 percent of the population overall.
spoke about Christiana Care's core values — excellence and love — and how they guide care.
“What we are after is all people living a good life,” Dr. Savoy said. “If you genuinely love the person sitting across from you, you don’t let him leave your office without making sure he understands what you are telling him about what he should eat, what is going on with his care.”
Dr. Quesada-Rojas said diabetes contributes to high-risk pregnancies and increases the
risk of stillbirth. He said Latina patients are reassured and relieved when he speaks to them in Spanish.
“The barriers come from many angles,” he said. “Lack of insurance and the inability to get tests is limiting. So is explaining that tortillas are not what they should be eating. Speaking their language makes the conversation easier.”
The event was part of a monthly series sponsored by Christiana Care’s Multicultural Heritage Committee and Office of Health Equity.
Samantha Brown, a breastfeeding facilitator at Christiana Hospital, often works with Westside patients, who account for 10 percent of deliveries at Christiana Care. She said the presentations make an important contribution to diversity and inclusion.
“It teaches us to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes,” Brown said. ●
“What we are after is all people living
a good life. If you genuinely love the person sitting across from you, you don’t let him leave your office without making sure he understands what you are telling him about what he should eat, what is going on with his care.”
Margot Savoy, M.D., MPH
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