St. Louis Children’s Hospital Becomes 42nd Mosaic Ambassador Organization: Welcoming a Diverse Immigrant Community Inside and Outside the Hospital
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2021
Contact: Suzanne Sierra
Senior Program Manager
St. Louis Mosaic Project
ssierra@worldtradecenter-stl.com
St. Louis Children’s Hospital Becomes 42nd Mosaic Ambassador Organization:
Welcoming a Diverse Immigrant Community Inside and Outside the Hospital
The St. Louis Mosaic Project is pleased to announce St. Louis Children’s Hospital as the 42nd organization to become a Mosaic Ambassador. St. Louis Children's is one of the premier children's hospitals in the United States and shares the St. Louis Mosaic Project’s goal to promote regional prosperity through immigration and innovation. St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s mission is to “do what’s right for kids” is realized when we support a multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-ethnic region.
In this mission, the efforts of St. Louis Children’s are borderless. The hospital has seen patients from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. Among the more than 275,000 patient visits each year, St. Louis Children’s ensures that all patients and families receive medical information in their preferred language. Language Services assistance is provided through qualified medical interpreters and written translations, either on-site, over-the-phone or through video remote interpreting. Interpreters are available 24 hours a day for foreign language and sign language assistance. The hospital system interprets 88 different languages for patients and their families.
Through the Center for Families Resource Library at St. Louis Children’s, patients, families, and caregivers are connected to health information resources and educational materials. The library can research multiple languages for parents to learn all about their child's specific illness or condition, so that they are well-informed when vital decisions need to be made. The library works closely with Language Services team members to help families and caregivers become full partners with their healthcare team.
All services are free and staff members are always available to assist with research and answer questions. Cross-cultural training is provided to SLCH staff members who serve international patients for addressing country or cultural differences to achieve best medical outcomes. Volunteer Ambassadors assist international patient families in making their stay as comfortable as possible by visiting patients’ bedsides to offer one-on-one consultations, and to share information about accommodations, car rentals, and local attractions. The hospital’s Food Service team creates meals that are culturally diverse.
About 20,000 underserved children and teens in the community are provided dental, asthma and health care screenings annually through the Healthy Kids Express (HKE) pediatric mobile health program at St. Louis Children’s. Specific to the immigrant and refugee populations, dental, immunization and health screening services are provided each month throughout the year at Casa de Salud ― a community health and wellness center for uninsured and underinsured Hispanic immigrants; International Institute of St. Louis ― St. Louis' welcoming center for new Americans; and Nahed Chapman New American Academy ― a public school for international students.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are priorities of St. Louis Children’s and BJC HealthCare. As a major employer in the metropolitan area, hiring and retaining high quality workers is crucial for delivering excellent patient care. The BJC Employee Assistant Program offers clinical, educational and wellness resources that are personalized for employees.
With 30,000-plus team members, BJC HealthCare is committed to promoting a more diverse, engaged and inclusive workplace for everyone. The hospital provides cultural competencies and diversity and inclusion trainings to all staff members to ensure quality patient care. BJC Connections groups are open to all team members to connect and build community. Its Global Connections group supports team members from different nationalities.
###