NJ Spotlight published the following article on June 30, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
Cultural Barriers Make it Harder for Immigrants to Access Healthcare
By Andre Kitchenman on June, 30, 2014New report recommends ways to overcome language differences, other hurdles
Healthcare is harder to come by for immigrants living in New Jersey, often due to language barriers which make it difficult to establish relationships with primary care providers.
The state already requires healthcare professionals to learn to handle cultural and language differences as part of their training, but a new report recommends increased efforts to enroll more bilingual students in the state’s healthcare-related schools.
The recently released report by the Rutgers Centers for State Health Policy found a large gap between immigrants who aren’t citizens (including both undocumented or illegal immgrants and those who have a legal status but aren’t citizens) and other residents (including both immigrants who’ve become citizens and those born in the United States) in how frequently they visit healthcare providers and whether they have communication problems when they do.
The issue is particularly important for New Jersey, which ranks third in the country after California and New York in the share of its population who are immigrants. According to the 2010 census, 1.84 million New Jersey residents were immigrants, representing 21 percent of the population.
“Communications with providers and an ability to connect with your primary care provider is really important for optimal healthcare, particularly when it comes to complex chronic illnesses,” said Joel Cantor, the center’s director and an NJ Spotlight columnist.