HHS Releases Blueprint to Advance Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care

April 24, 2013

  https://www.thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/

The US Department of Health and Human Services released enhanced National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care - a blueprint to help organizations improve health care quality in serving our nation's diverse communities. The enhanced standards, developed by the HHS Office of Minority Health, are a comprehensive update of the 2000 National CLAS Standards and include the expertise of federal and non-federal partners nationwide, to ensure an even stronger platform for health equity. The enhanced National CLAS standards are grounded in a broad definition of culture - one in which health is recognized as being influenced by factors ranging from race and ethnicity to language, spirituality, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and geography.