Health Equity Program
Cultural Competency and Health Literacy Overview and Resources
Cultural competency is the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Superior maintains policies that align with the National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS), which emphasize the importance of health services that are respectful and responsive to the health beliefs, practices, and needs of Superior’s diverse members. These policies also ensure quality services are provided to individuals of all cultures, races, languages, ethnic backgrounds and religions in a manner that recognizes values, affirms and respects the worth of the individual enrollee, while also protecting and preserving their dignity.
Superior encourages providers to deliver culturally competent care. Sensitivity to differing cultural influences, beliefs and backgrounds, can improve a provider’s relationship with patients and bring positive health outcomes for diverse populations. Superior also complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Superior does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
Health literacy is the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate decisions. Health literacy is also now recognized as a component of Cultural Competency. A patient’s level of health literacy can impact how and when they take their medications, their understanding of their health conditions, attendance at their appointments and the choices they make regarding treatment. Low health literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes, such as higher rates of hospitalization and less frequent use of preventive services.
To learn more, please review the resources below:
- National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS)
- Superior HealthPlan’s Cultural Competency Flyer (PDF)
- Superior HealthPlan’s Cultural Competency and Health Literacy Training (PDF)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): What Is Health Literacy?
- TIP 59: Improving Cultural Competence (PDF)
- US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): A Physician's Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): Culture, Language, and Health Literacy
- National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities
- Asian Black
- Hispanic and Latino
- Immigrants
- Minority Health
- Language Identification Tool (PDF)
- Interpretation or Translation Services: To access interpreter or translation services for your patients, contact Superior’s Member Services Department.
- Deaf Hard of Hearing
- Blind and Vision Impairments
- Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
- Medical or Physical Disabilities
Non-Medical Drivers of Health (NDOH) Overview and Resources
Non-Medical Drivers of Health (NDOH) continues to be a growing focus in health care. These are conditions in the environments in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, that can influence a their health and well-being, including access to health care and basic services, such as transportation, housing, food and medications. Superior works to enhance quality of life for members by striving to address health disparities and NDOH factors that can affect members’ health, daily functions and quality of life outcomes.
To learn more, please review the resources below:
- Superior Resources
- Findhelp – This resource helps providers and members quickly and easily search for free or reduced cost services like medical care, food and job training.
- This tool can be accessed on Superior’s Member Resources webpage, or by visiting SuperiorHealthPlan.FindHelp.com/.
- Community Health Workers (CHW) – Superior CHW staff help members successfully navigate through the health-care system, by establishing ongoing outpatient services with primary care providers, addressing all access to care, social barriers, and following up after hospital discharge for a time period of up to 90 Days. This leads to better health outcomes and reduction in potentially preventable ER visits, inpatient admissions and readmissions.
- To refer a member, please contact Superior's Member Services Department, and ask to speak to a Community Health Worker.
- Superior's Health and Wellness webpage
- Superior's Wellframe Care App webpage
- Findhelp – This resource helps providers and members quickly and easily search for free or reduced cost services like medical care, food and job training.
- Other Resources
- 2-1-1 Texas – This resource is a free, anonymous social service hotline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This program, provided by HHS, is committed to helping Texas residents connect with the services they need.
- Providers and members can access services by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905 or online at 211texas.org.
- 2-1-1 Texas – This resource is a free, anonymous social service hotline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This program, provided by HHS, is committed to helping Texas residents connect with the services they need.
- Sponsorship and Grant Programs – Each year, Superior works with Community-Based Organizations, Schools, Head Start Programs and our providers, awarding sponsorships and grants aimed at reducing some of the barriers our members face each day. Some of the programs include Hygiene Closets, Workforce Development and Flu & Vaccine events. To learn more about these programs and grants:
- Superior’s Provider Behavioral Health webpage
- Superior’s Provider Immunization Toolkit’
- Superior’s Provider Opioid Toolkit
- Superior’s Provider Quality Improvement webpage
- Superior’s Provider Quality of Care webpage
For more information on the Health Equity Program, please contact Superior using the following email address, and including Health Equity in your subject line: SHP.HEDIS@SuperiorHealthPlan.com.