2024PDC

Track: Program & Project Development

Description: Cass County, while rural, defies expectations with its impressive diversity. Home to Logansport Memorial Hospital (LMH), this county exemplifies a blend of cultures within its rural landscape. However, despite this diversity, the Logansport Memorial Hospital (LMH) has faced challenges in educating patients from various linguistic backgrounds about safe sleep practices. The changing demographics of Cass County, including a growing Hispanic and Haitian population, have highlighted the need for effective communication and education in these communities. Recognizing this gap, Purdue University’s Community Transformation Team played a pivotal role in fostering collaboration between Cass County Doulas from the Hispanic and Haitian communities and Logansport Memorial Hospital's Labor and Delivery nurses. Together, we created a culturally tailored Safe Sleep story with assistance from an outside vendor. This unique course, available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, utilizes a story-based approach to convey essential safe sleep information to new mothers and families in a language and format they understand. The course was developed iteratively, with continuous input and support. LMH collaboration with doulas and Purdue epitomizes an innovative framework for transcending linguistic and cultural barriers in healthcare education. As a vanguard of inclusive healthcare, the forthcoming Safe Sleep course presents a groundbreaking solution for delivering vital information to multifaceted populations. We plan to expand this transformative initiative to neighboring counties, with assistance from Purdue Extension, amplifying its potential to effect widespread positive change across Indiana.

Presenters: Tisha Reid, Lead Health Equity Analyst, Purdue University Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering/Statewide;
Angela Washburn, Senior Health Equity Analyst; Sylvia Saxena, Health Equity Analyst Purdue Center for Healthcare Engineering