While the Affordable Care Act is challenging us to provide higher quality care at a lower cost -- for the most part by standardizing the processes and procedures that are known to deliver the best outcomes -- we must also continue to put that work in the cultural context of our patients. CHW's work with Hmong refugees in Merced, California has become a national model for how health care providers can partner with the community to provide great care.
Take a look at today's Bakersfield Express, which gives a glimpse into how the Hmong community in Merced is working with Western doctors:
Most Hmong had not experienced Western medicine until they came to the United States. Surgery and medical technologies were foreign to them. Many feared and distrusted American doctors. Instead, they relied on traditional medicine, which sometimes frustrated the mainstream medical community. American physicians were concerned about some of the shamans’ methods, such as mixing water and saliva to use on patients. Dr. John Paik-Tesch of Mercy Medical Center in Merced has worked with the Hmong community for two decades.
“Generally, with the Western point of view, we’re somewhat skeptical of shamanism, how it affects medical illnesses, per se, but at the same time there’s a recognition of the fact that it’s part of their cultural belief systems,” he says. “And I think shamans support them from more of a spiritual, emotional point of view, which can be very beneficial for the well-being of the patient.”
The 1997 book “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman documents the clash between Western and Hmong medicine. It tells the story of an epileptic Hmong girl in Merced and conflicting beliefs about her treatment. Over the years, education has increased trust between U.S. doctors and Hmong shamans.
Last year, Mercy Medical Center created a formal policy, making it easier for shamans to perform ceremonies inside the hospital. It’s the first of its kind in the nation.
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