There is an increase in diversity in our nation, and as such, health care professionals need to have the tools to maximize patient outcomes, considering the breadth of these needs. It is important to improve effectiveness, as health care providers, by increasing cultural awareness and knowledge of cultural humility. The three factors that guide cultural humility include lifelong commitment to self-evaluation, fixing power imbalances, and developing partnerships with people and groups who advocate for others. These aspects may enhance future health care providers’ ability to minimize health care disparities and optimize health care for all patients. In addition, discussions related to cultural humility may contribute to a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation.
Author Bio(s)
Archana Vatwani, PT, DPT, EdD, MBA, CLWT, CDP, PMP is the Graduate Program Director, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and Clinical Associate Professor at Old Dominion University (ODU). Prior to ODU, she was an Associate Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). She is an acute care physical therapist with a clinical expertise in cardiovascular and pulmonary high-acuity patients and worked at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD for a decade. She has held many organizational service leadership positions including the NSU Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Healthcare Sciences founding chair of the diversity and inclusion faculty committee and the founding co-chair of the Physical Therapy department cultural competence task force. At the state and professional level, she served as the founding co-chair of the Florida Physical Therapy Association Acute Care Special Interest group. She is a certified lymphedema and wound Care therapist (CLWT), certified lean six sigma black belt (CLSSBB), certified project management professional (PMP), National Diversity Council certified diversity professional (CDP) and certified in diversity, equity, and inclusion at the workplace. Her primary research interests include cultural competence in healthcare and academia, interprofessional education and practice, simulation-based teaching/learning, healthcare education, physical therapy practice, and management specifically in the acute care and cardiovascular and pulmonary fields. She has authored several peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and presentations. She is the recipient of the 2022 Healthcare Diversity Leader Award from the National Diversity Council, 2022 American Physical Therapy Association Minority Faculty Scholarship award, and a member of the Alpha Eta Honor Society.
Recommended Citation
Vatwani A. Promoting Cultural Humility as a Core Value into Healthcare Professional Practice: Focusing on the Journey and not the Destination. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice.
2024 Mar 22;22(2), Article 2.
