Health Equity
With the increasing diversity of the United States’ population, physicians are more and more likely to encounter situations that require the delivery of culturally competent care, access to a vast array of language services and supportive healthcare organizations.
Any health and healthcare organization addressing mental, social, spiritual and physical well-being can benefit from the adoption and implementation of the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards from the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. The standards aim to advance health equity, improve quality and help eliminate healthcare disparities by providing a framework for implementing culturally and linguistically (language) appropriate services throughout an organization.
Free Services for Provider Offices’ Use
Sunflower Health Plan is committed to ensuring the linguistic needs and cultural differences of our members are met and provides an array of services through internal sources and external partnerships.
- Access to individuals who are trained, professional interpreters. Sunflower offers face-to-face or telephonic interpreter services that may be arranged through Customer Service. We requests a five-day prior notification for face-to-face services. This includes interpretation for spoken languages as well as for hearing impairment. All providers (medical, behavioral, pharmacy, etc.) can call Customer Service at toll free 1-877-644-4623 TTY: 711 to help arrange interpreter services.
- Over-the-phone interpreter services are available 24/7, in approximately 150 languages, to help providers and members communicate with each other when there are no other translators available for the language. Also, TTY access is available to members who are hearing impaired. All providers (medical, behavioral, pharmacy, etc.) can call Customer Service at toll free 1-877-644-4623 TTY: 711 to help arrange interpreter services.
- The free Sunflower 24/7 Nurse Advice Line can help members with medical questions and triage care. Call toll free 1-877-644-4623 TTY: 711.
- Community Health Services helps Sunflower members that need social services to facilitate successful medical treatment. Call toll free 1-877-644-4623 TTY: 711.
Think Cultural Health is dedicated to advancing health equity at every point of contact.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment Health Equity works to improve health outcomes for Kansas's culturally diverse populations through a vision of health equity for all Kansans. Their website includes training, reports and resources.
Health Reources and Services Administration offers health literacy tools for providers to address the unique culture, language and health literacy of diverse consumers and communities.
CLAS in Maternal Health Care On-Demand Training helps guide maternal healthcare professionals by training them on delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS). This free, two-hour e-learning program is designed for providers seeking knowledge and skills related to cultural competency, cultural humility, person-centered care and combating implicit bias across the continuum of maternal healthcare.
"I Speak" Language Identification Tool (PDF) assists individuals who are not proficient in English to identify a preferred language. This poster contains more than 15 languages. Sunflower provides interpretation for all members in whatever language they prefer.
Teach-Back Training - Learn about the teach-back method, a research-based health literacy intervention that improves patient-provider communication and patient health outcomes.
Health Literacy Toolkit (PDF) - Use the tools, assessments and resources to improve your practice, raise awareness and target specific areas in your organization to improve the health outcomes and experience for your patients.