The implementation of cultural competence is often given low priority, not particularly from any lack of good intentions, but often because of other crises, situations or priorities that may be given more attention. Nevertheless, the significance of culturally competent health care facilities cannot be over emphasized. Efforts for creating culturally competent health care facilities do not stop after the surveys and interviews; rather, it is critical that the management and quality-of-care concern must permeate the entire system. Implementing cultural competence is a complex, multi-level process involving not only interactions at different levels within the system but also interactions with the community and other social service agencies as well. It is the kind of process that brings about gradual but sure change over a long period of time owed to consistent effort and input.

Measuring the GAP:

Effective health communication is as important to health care as clinical skill. To improve individual health and build healthy communities, health care providers need to recognize and address the unique culture, language and health literacy of diverse consumers and communities. Through TABS expert researchers, a Cultural Competency evaluation was conducted on two prominent health care providers on St. Croix: Charles Harwood Clinic in Christiansted & Frederiksted Health Clinic in Frederiksted, with the goal of understanding the culturally sensitive needs and concerns of the employees and consequently of patients that are served by them.

This project was the first step in an effort to develop a sustainable method of ensuring that the bridge between employee capabilities in regards to ethnic and cultural sensitivities towards diverse patients and the level of satisfaction felt by patients that come for health care services to these clinics.