Profession
AHA joins AMA, NMA to address racial disparities
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 22, 2008
The American Hospital Assn. pledged in a November letter to leaders of the National Medical Assn. to team with the NMA and the American Medical Association to increase efforts to eliminate racial disparities in health care.
The letter, from AHA Chair William Petasnick and AHA President Richard Umbdenstock, was in response to discussion at a meeting of the AHA Special Advisory Group on Improving Hospital Care for Minorities.
The letter calls for boosting efforts to recruit racial and ethnic minorities into medicine, nursing, health administration and related fields. It also encourages health profession schools and licensing and accrediting organizations to "make cultural competence part of the preparation and ongoing expectation of all who interact with patients."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/12/22/prbf1222.htm.