Casa Ruben Foundation told the Montgomery County Council its mobile-clinic work immunized more than 25,000 people during the pandemic and that the clinic has been named an awarded site in Maryland; the foundation thanked county support for a special appropriation.

YouTube video by UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) & Prevention Research Center (PRC)

Dr. Sara (Legacy Award recipient) was recognized for more than 25 years of clinical service at Eskenazi Health and for advancing access to care for Latino patients; she dedicated the award to family, mentors and the community.

A Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health research associate updated the board on Hojo Horizons work in local high schools and said a federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention grant was prematurely terminated in June; philanthropic funds are keeping programming going while legal challenges proceed.

District staff told the Board that 97% of Fayette County schools completed the Tiered Fidelity Inventory and 91% met the TFI 3.0 fidelity threshold; school counselors and coaches described school-level practices such as cultural nights, restorative circles and low-cost reward systems to support equity.

Multiple community health and social-service witnesses told the council that fear of enforcement after TPS termination has led families to avoid clinics, food pantries and schools, increased anxiety and suicidal ideation in some cases, and created urgent need for culturally appropriate mental-health funding.

Background: As patient populations become increasingly diverse, #nurses must develop cultural competence to provide effective and equitable care. Objective: This study aims to examine the predictors of cultural competence among #nurses, specifically investigating the roles of digital health literacy (DHL) and cultural intelligence, while also assessing how demographic factors, competence levels, and DHL relate to culturally competent behaviors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 296 #nurses at a private hospital in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using validated instruments to assess DHL, cultural intelligence, and cultural competence. Descriptive statistics, independent tests, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS (IBM Corp) to evaluate the associations and predictors of cultural competence. Results: In a sample of 296 #nurses, cultural intelligence was observed at a moderate level, present in 35.8% (n=106) of participants. Conversely, more than half of the participants (n=158, 53.4%) exhibited low DHL. The majority of the #nurses (n=195, 65.9%) demonstrated moderate cultural competence. Education was the only demographic factor significantly associated with cultural competence, with #nurses holding a Bachelor of Science degree scoring higher than those with a diploma (=.003). Furthermore, cultural intelligence and DHL each showed a strong positive correlation with cultural competence (

Supporting Health Care Providers in Serving Transgender Patients and Clients The goal of this course is to help health care providers improve the overall health and well-being of transgender people. L...

Two deaf educators told the board that video remote interpreting (VRI) is unreliable for IEPs and large meetings, described uncertified interpreters and cultural gaps, and proposed creating a district ASL interpreter coordinator to ensure ADA-compliant services.

Background: Cultural competence is an essential dimension of contemporary health care delivery, particularly in diverse, multicultural societies. South Africa, with its rich linguistic and cultural plurality, presents a unique context in which culturally responsive care is critical for equitable health outcomes. Despite growing international attention to cultural competence in health professions education, little research has explored this domain within optometry education in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: This study aimed to assess self-reported levels of cultural competence, specifically preparedness, skillfulness, and educational exposure, among third- and fourth-year optometry students at a South African university. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used. An adapted version of the Harvard Cross-Cultural Care Survey was distributed via Google Forms to 91 eligible students, yielding 68 (74.7%) responses. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS (version 29). Qualitative responses were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: Participants reported high preparedness for caring for immigrant patients (47/68, 69.1%) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTIQA+) patients (45/68, 66.2%), but low preparedness for patients with religious beliefs affecting treatment (only 20/68, 29.4% prepared) or health beliefs at odds with Western medicine (21/68, 30.9% prepared). Regarding skills, students felt most capable of assessing illness understanding (58/68, 85.3% skilled) and identifying English literacy (56/68, 82.4% skilled) but reported deficits in counseling patients about traditional and alternative medicine use (45/68, 66.2% lacking adequate skill) and identifying religious beliefs affecting care (42/68, 61.8% lacking adequate skill). Experiential learning, particularly community outreach and the Phelophepa Healthcare Train, was identified as the most impactful preparation for cross-cultural care. Content analysis identified 6 categories related to cross-cultural learning experiences: exposure to diverse patient populations, communication across cultures, developing cultural awareness and empathy, awareness of health inequities, informal and social learning, and gaps in structured training. Conclusions: The optometry students demonstrated moderate cultural competence, with meaningful strengths in communication and rapport-building, alongside notable gaps in engaging with religious beliefs, traditional medicine, and systemic health inequities. These findings align with international literature and underscore the need for structured, curriculum-embedded cultural competence training. We recommend the integration of formal training modules, reflective practice frameworks, faculty development, and expanded equitable access to diverse clinical placements.

The New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing said it has partnered with the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority to offer community-based doula training for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, with a route to enroll as Medicaid providers.

American Red Cross staff briefed the commission on a Washington initiative to boost African American blood donations and increase matched CEK‑negative units for sickle cell patients, reporting 742 African American units collected last year and urging partnerships with churches and community groups.

Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University Why Cultural Competence Matters  For educational developers, cultural competence represents both a pedagogic priority and a strategic opportunity. Ma…

TikTok video by Dr Vanessa in the NeuroLab