Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, read or watch the following: 

• Effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices
• Diversity Improves Performance and Outcomes
• Culturally Adapting an Advance Care Planning Communication Intervention With American Indian and Alaska Native People in Primary Care

Watch the following two videos:

• Why Is Healthcare Workforce Diversity Important? (Links to an external site.)
• Inclusion is a Culture of Value and Belonging (Links to an external site.)

Take on the role of manager of a Federally Qualified Health Center (Links to an external site.) that provides primary care services to a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual urban community. Many of the patients live below the poverty line. Health care providers in your center see a high volume of patients with challenging medical and psychosocial issues. Because of the high volume of patients, acutely ill patients often wait for two to three days to see a health care provider. Many patients walk in without appointments.

On the other hand, about 35% of patients fail to show up for appointments on a given day. As you investigate the problem, it is becoming increasingly clear to you that the better-insured and English-speaking patients may receive better access. They are more likely to get a timely appointment, keep the appointment, and show up for their appointments because of better communication. You are interested in promoting more equitable access to health care. You understand the importance of providing patient-centered care that is culturally sensitive and a diverse clinic environment to make patients feel more welcome.

In your initial post,

• Propose at least three strategies to solve the problem in your health center.
• Support your response with a minimum of two scholarly sources that were published in the last 5 years. All sources must be cited using proper APA Style.