10/30/2015

Ohio Physicians Oppose Bill to Require Cultural Competency Training

Despite recognizing the need to address health disparities, physicians oppose mandatory training

Earlier this year, Sen. Charleta Tavares (D – Columbus) introduced a bill to require certain healthcare professionals to complete instruction in cultural competency. Senate Bill 33 would mandate this training in order to receive or renew a license.

As physicians who treat diverse patient populations every day, emergency physicians are acutely aware that racial and ethnic health disparities are an important public health problem. As such, Ohio ACEP applauds the goals of SB 33, and we support initiatives which enhance cultural understanding among healthcare providers, such as encouraging medical schools to offer courses in cultural competency.

However, Ohio ACEP opposes SB 33 because it mandates that healthcare professionals receive cultural competency training. Physicians and other healthcare professionals are the best judges of what their continuing education needs are, based upon their individual areas of expertise as well as the unique needs of the patient populations they treat.

We have joined with a number of other healthcare organizations in urging members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to oppose SB 33 and to work with us to address racial and ethnic health disparities.

Stay tuned for updates on SB 33 as the Senate Health and Human Services Committee continues its deliberations.