Developing a culturally competent work force: an opportunity for collaboration

This article describes a collaborative project formed between three major community systems--education, health care, and the business sector--to respond to the specialized cultural needs of a growing Hispanic population in a large public health care system in Dallas, TX. Two specific strategies, short-term cultural immersion and the development of a nurse exchange program with a "sister" hospital in Mexico, assist health care personnel to learn the language and the culture of Mexico. Findings from process evaluation suggest that these initiatives are essential and beneficial to changing individual views and developing knowledge and skills. Community partnerships requiring a significant commitment to a continuum of efforts from top administrative levels to the individual level facilitate institutional responses to the challenge of developing a culturally skilled health work force.