The Academy’s Health Disparities Initiative is helping to eliminate health disparities in North Carolina by increasing physician knowledge and understanding of the diverse patient population in our state. 

Through this effort, the Academy is striving to encourage physicians to implement the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards.  The CLAS Standards developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, target issues of culturally appropriate care, language access services and organizational supports for cultural competence. 

The Office of Minority Health offers an online CME program to educate healthcare providers about these issues.  The following North Carolina healthcare providers have taken initiative to complete this extensive online coursework: 

• Mark Heffington, MD
• Shirley D. Ocloo, MD
• Theodore Brna Jr., MD
• Susan Syphard, MD
• Lynn Bailey, RN
• Douglas Kelling, MD
• Karen L. Smith, MD
• Arletty Del Pilar Smith, MD
• Patricia Kaldy, MD
• Annamarie Streilein, PA-C
• Wayne A. Hale, MD 

For more information about the NCAFP’s Health Disparities Initiative, please contact Jenni Fisher at jfisher@ncafp.com or 919-833-2110.  More information about the online CME is available at http://www.thinkculturalhealth.org/.