Fairview Doctors, Nurses Get Crash Course In Somali Culture
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Some Twin Cities doctors and nurses spent Monday sharpening their skills in an area many are not familiar with -- Somali culture and language.
"Learning a few key phrases goes a long way towards building a relationship and having trust in your provider," said Ann Ellison, the director of Community Health at Fairview Health Services. "That provider knowing how to greet you when you enter an exam room makes a big difference."
Fairview Health Services' Somali Cultural Health Day brought together medical staff from all its locations.
During lunch, the doctors and nurses got a taste of traditional Somali foods. In sessions, they learned about Somali customs and traditions.
"In the Somali culture, faith is a huge issue," Ellison said. "Most Somalis are Muslim."
She added that it's important for doctors and other professionals to know about the tenants of the faith, including the importance of prayer.
Anisa Hashi, a medical lab scientist at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, said it's key that doctors make personal connections with their Somali patients.
"That personal connection," she said, "tells them that you care."
As a result of investing in those connections, patients will be more likely to follow medical advice and live healthier lives, Hashi said.
Monday's training sessions also examined autism and mental health issues in the Somali community.
