Mater launches Cultural Diversity Unit
- Release Date: 4/08/2010
- For media enquiries please contact 07 3163 1524 or the afterhours on call media officer on 07 3163 8111.
Mater Health Services last month (July) launched a Cultural Diversity Unit aimed at furthering the organisation’s
cultural responsiveness.
The launch followed an 18 month project into interpreting and cultural responsiveness which included research,
consultation, policy development and implementation and support and education for staff.
The project benefited significantly from the active participation of many Mater staff as well as external community
groups and individuals.
Mater’s Mission Leadership Executive Director Madonna McGahan said the Cultural Diversity Unit would provide
strategic and practical advice, support and education to staff to enable them to continually improve Mater’s cultural
responsiveness to patients.
“As a Catholic health care organisation our mission is to serve people with kindness, respect,
compassion, competence, holistically and without discrimination,” Ms McGahan said.
“One way we can achieve this is by enabling people to participate in their care by facilitating communication for
patients with limited skills in English.”
Working in collaboration with clinical staff, the Cultural Diversity Unit will look to develop long term relationships with
culturally and linguistically diverse communities to facilitate feedback on patient hospital experiences and to
enhance communication between patients and staff.
Staff will be responsible for developing organisation wide approaches and strategies in a range of areas including
language services, police development, community liaison and education, both for staff and the wider community.
Jenny Ryan, who managed the Interpreting and Cultural Responsiveness project, has been appointed Cultural
Diversity Coordinator.
Interpreters Phuong Nguyen (Vietnamese) and Ling Ling Holloway (Mandarin and Cantonese) will also work within
the Unit.
“As the communities we serve grow more culturally complex, developing cultural competence and delivering
culturally responsive services is an organisational, structural and clinical responsibility,” Ms McGahan said.