[Establishing a Culturally Safe Care Environment: Organizational Culture and Policy Support]

In addition to biomedical factors and individual health behaviors, historical trauma, colonial experiences, and social marginalization are all critical factors that shape profoundly the health inequities experienced by indigenous peoples. Therefore, it is critical that cultural contexts and indigenous perspectives be incorporated into both health policy formulation and healthcare provision processes, with "cultural safety" serving as a central guiding principle to ensure healthcare systems earn the trust and serve the needs of indigenous clients. Cultural safety emphasizes cultural awareness, sensitivity, and competence as well as the critical reflection upon and transformation of traditional power relations to promote a truly patient-centered model of care. In this paper, the practical challenges faced by healthcare and long-term care systems, including tensions between standardized procedures and cultural differences, are examined, and institutionalized strategies are proposed to enhance quality of care and reduce structural inequalities. Moreover, the pivotal roles of policy and legislation in advancing cultural safety are highlighted using Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples Health Act as an example. Establishing culturally safe care environments requires a comprehensive effort spanning policy, organizational structures, and education. Leveraging cultural respect and institutional support, this effort holds the potential to facilitate the transformation of healthcare systems and ultimately achieve the goals of diversity, inclusion, and health equity.