Foundation Programs
Multilingual Resources
The Foundation and the Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) have expressed
concerns regarding bi-lingual issues in patient care. We are exploring
various groups already involved in addressing this very important issue.
Minnesota has one of the highest populations of Southeast Asians, and
Somali, along with large populations of Hispanic, and Russian. There
are 50 languages spoken in Minnesota.
One such group is the Multilingual Health Resources Exchange, an electronic
clearinghouse and information forum for health education in multiple
languages. This is collaboration, begun in May 2001, among more than a
dozen health care organizations in Minnesota; all of them interested in
health care for the foreign-born patient The Exchange will maintain an
archive of health education materials in languages other than English.
Materials are designed for health education, but some may be more useful
for specific audiences. For more information on Multilingual Health Resources
Exchange: contact Patricia Ohmans, Consultant,
Health Advocates, (651) 489-4238. E-mail:
pohmans@healthadvocates.info
For access to the Exchange materials go to
www.health-exchange.net
The MAFP Foundation provided a grant to fund a part of
this new resource in our health care community.
For more information on MAFP Foundation Programs, contact:
Lynn Balfour, MAFP Foundation Executive Director
(952) 542-0130, (800) 999-8198, or e-mail
foundation@mafp.org
