This show provides actionable skills in cultural humility, culturally responsive care, and health equity so clinicians, leaders, and neighbors can serve every community better.
Hosted by family physician and healthcare leader Dr. Raj Sundar, each episode explores cultural humility, culturally responsive care, and health equity through the voices of patients, clinicians, and system designers who live the work every day.
WHAT YOU’LL HEAR
Practical ways to deliver culturally competent & culturally responsive care, language-concordant, and trauma-informed care.
Strategies for tackling social determinants of health at both the clinic and policy levels.
Real stories showing how culture, history, and environment shape health outcomes—and how clinicians can respond.
Design ideas for health-care leaders building inclusive, patient-centered systems.
Community insights that help all of us become better neighbors and advocates.
WHO IT’S FOR
Frontline clinicians, public-health and hospital leaders, medical educators, and anyone curious about making cross-cultural care the norm.
WHEN
. Follow now to keep cultural humility—and culturally responsive care—at the center of your practice and healthcare system
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This show provides actionable skills in cultural humility, culturally responsive care, and health equity so clinicians, leaders, and neighbors can serve every community better.
Hosted by family physician and healthcare leader Dr. Raj Sundar, each episode explores cultural humility, culturally responsive care, and health equity through the voices of patients, clinicians, and system designers who live the work every day.
WHAT YOU’LL HEAR
Practical ways to deliver culturally competent & culturally responsive care, language-concordant, and trauma-informed care.
Strategies for tackling social determinants of health at both the clinic and policy levels.
Real stories showing how culture, history, and environment shape health outcomes—and how clinicians can respond.
Design ideas for health-care leaders building inclusive, patient-centered systems.
Community insights that help all of us become better neighbors and advocates.
WHO IT’S FOR
Frontline clinicians, public-health and hospital leaders, medical educators, and anyone curious about making cross-cultural care the norm.
WHEN
. Follow now to keep cultural humility—and culturally responsive care—at the center of your practice and healthcare system
76 I Congo: When History Walks into Your Exam Room
Healthcare for Humans
45 minutes
1 month ago
76 I Congo: When History Walks into Your Exam Room
Overview:
We sit down with Jean Jacques, physician, community organizer to explore how the long and complex history of the Democratic Republic of Congo—including colonialism, resource-driven conflict, and trauma—shapes the healthcare experience of Congolese immigrants and refugees in the U.S. We talk through the diversity of Congolese identities, languages, and traditions, and examine how food, faith, and community form the backbone of cultural resilience, even as new challenges like diabetes, hypertension, and mental health stigma emerge after resettlement. Our conversation highlights practical advice for clinicians—from building trust and acknowledging trauma to asking about family and respecting cultural foodways—while also discussing the vital role of Congolese churches and grassroots organizations in healing and navigating the American healthcare system.
Three Takeaways:
Deep Historical Context Shapes Present-Day HealthcareJean Jacques gives a nuanced overview of how the Democratic Republic of Congo’s colonial and post-colonial history—including conflict over natural resources, genocide spillover, and foreign interference—directly affects how Congolese refugees experience healthcare today. Understanding these origins is crucial for providers because patients may carry deep-seated mistrust toward healthcare systems, especially given past experiences of forced medical campaigns and trauma from displacement.
Language Diversity is a Barrier and a BridgeThe episode details that Congo is staggeringly diverse with “450 ethnic groups, over 5,000 dialects, and four national languages” aside from French. Many community members arrive in the US speaking little or no English—English might be their fourth language, as Jean Jacques shares from personal experience. Assumptions about shared language or uniformity can result in missed care opportunities; tailored language access and culturally sensitive interpretation are essential.
Traditional Foods and Diet Transitions Present Unique Health RisksMoving to the US shifts dietary habits—fresh, traditional foods are often replaced by processed convenience meals, contributing to increased rates of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in the Congolese community. Efforts to offer healthy-eating guidance (like suggesting less palm oil or leaner meats) often run up against powerful forces: taste, cost, cultural significance, and lack of culturally competent nutrition counseling.
Next Step:
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Healthcare for Humans
This show provides actionable skills in cultural humility, culturally responsive care, and health equity so clinicians, leaders, and neighbors can serve every community better.
Hosted by family physician and healthcare leader Dr. Raj Sundar, each episode explores cultural humility, culturally responsive care, and health equity through the voices of patients, clinicians, and system designers who live the work every day.
WHAT YOU’LL HEAR
Practical ways to deliver culturally competent & culturally responsive care, language-concordant, and trauma-informed care.
Strategies for tackling social determinants of health at both the clinic and policy levels.
Real stories showing how culture, history, and environment shape health outcomes—and how clinicians can respond.
Design ideas for health-care leaders building inclusive, patient-centered systems.
Community insights that help all of us become better neighbors and advocates.
WHO IT’S FOR
Frontline clinicians, public-health and hospital leaders, medical educators, and anyone curious about making cross-cultural care the norm.
WHEN
. Follow now to keep cultural humility—and culturally responsive care—at the center of your practice and healthcare system
