Cultural Competence and Preventing Health Disparities:

Health disparities are an ongoing issue in the American healthcare system. These health disparities have effects on the health of the individual, health of the society as well as large effects on the economy. These health disparities often occur because there are systematic barriers that make accessing health care more difficult for some groups. This program will look at the social determinants of health and some of the ways culture can affect health beliefs. In addition, this program introduces the concept of cultural competence as a process to improve patient interactions. The goal of this training is to expose the learner to these ideas and tools in order to prevent health disparities. This course is approved by the Oregon Health Authority’s Office of Equity and Inclusion as an educational training for all healthcare professionals.

Oregon State University College of Pharmacy, as the only publicly funded higher education pharmacy institution in the state, often works at the behest of the state of Oregon. The college is asked to respond to pharmacy education needs driven by the legislature, such as in statues and those driven by the Oregon Health Authority by public health care policy, such is with this course.

Message from Thomas King, Oregon Board of Medical Imaging:

As Chair of the Continuing Education Committee of the Board, I am pleased to welcome you to the Cultural Competency and Preventing Health Disparities online course hosted by our colleagues at the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy. This course has been approved for category-A credit as authorized by the Board. The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) has determined cultural competency continuing education is appropriate for counting towards the mandatory 24 credits necessary for their credential renewal.

In 2013 the Oregon Legislature enacted legislation to further cultural competency education for the healthcare professionals. The Board of Medical Imaging (OBMI) is among other listed healthcare licensing agencies who have a requirement to provide or promote cultural competency continuing education.

Recent events that have occurred in our country underscore the need to increase our awareness to provide high quality, compassionate and more importantly equal treatment to the patient population we serve. I am hopeful you will find this course enlightening and use the lessons learned here to continue your excellent treatment of patients along with their families, friends and significant others.

If you have any comments, please email me at: thomas.KING@obmi.oregon.gov.

Respectfully,

Thomas King, MBA, NCIT, RT(R) ARRT
Investigator/Advisor
Oregon Board of Medical Imaging (OBMI)

Oregon Board of Medical Imaging Continuing Education Information:

This program has been approved by the Oregon Board of Medical Imaging. The Oregon Board of Medical Imaging (OBMI) is granted authority, by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologies (ARRT), as a state licensing agency to authorize contuing education activity credits to OBMI licensees who are ARRT certified medical imaging technologists only.

OBMI Reference Number: OBMI-2024-2025-01
Credit Type: Category A
Credit Hours: 2.0
Activity Expiration Date: December 31, 2025