Dr. Kristina Guo and Dr. Susan Young publish article on importance of cultural competence in health care delivery

From left to right: Professor of Health Care Administration Kristina Guo, Assistant Professor of Health Care Administration Susan Young

From left to right: Professor of Health Care Administration Kristina Guo, Assistant Professor of Health Care Administration Susan Young

Dr. Kristina Guo and Dr. Susan Young recently published “Cultural Diversity Training: The Necessity of Cultural Competence for Health Care Providers in the Nursing Practice” in the April/June 2016 issue of The Health Care Manager, a journal featuring research studies on health care management and applied information for managers working in the health care industry.

In the article, Guo and Young discuss the need for providing culturally competent health care to a growing number of diverse individuals and families. Their study supports the position that cultural competence is a skill learned over time and these competencies are especially important for nurses.

Kristina Guo

Kristina L. Guo is professor and chair of the public administration division and director of the health care administration program at the University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu. She teaches courses in public administration, health care administration, health policy, and organizational behavior. Her primary areas of research are in health care, long-term care, and public health policy and management.

Dr. Guo’s publications focus on the political, economic, organizational, and management implications in the complex and evolving health care environment. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and presentations, and chaired and presented her work at various local, regional, national and international conferences. She was the keynote speaker for the 2009, 2010, and 2012 International Business and Management Research Conference. Her book, co-authored with T. Buss and F. Redburn on Modernizing Democracy: Innovations in Citizen Participation was published in 2006. Dr. Guo actively participates in community and professional service and is a member of the editorial board of four health care management and policy journals. She is also a member of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and the Hawaii-Pacific Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Susan Young

Susan Young is an assistant professor at UH West Oʻahu teaching in the health care administration concentration. Her research interest aligns with the study of cultural differences and disparities in health care perception and in student awareness of cultural environments in the workplace.

Dr. Young is a registered nurse with 25 years of clinical practice and has held administrative positions in hospitals and disease management. Prior to joining UH West Oʻahu, she was the director of quality and regulatory affairs for the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and taught health care administration and nursing at A.T. Still University and the University of Phoenix. Young is an active member in the Hawaii Coalition for Academic Progression in Nursing, vice chair for the Hawaii State Center for Nursing Advisory Board appointed by Governor David Ige, and a member of the Hawaii-Pacific chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Image courtesy of Kristina Guo and Susan Young