Description

Session Description

Cultural competency in healthcare and community settings is an important step in reducing health disparities and influencing positive nutrition-related health outcomes.  In 2021, Open Arms of Minnesota started a Cultural Meals Program to develop accessible and culturally familiar medically tailored meals to serve Hmong, Latinx, and East African clients who are disproportionately impacted by chronic illness. The program launched with the first phase of the Hmong menu in 2023. During this session, speakers will discuss the implementation process for this program, what has been learned so far, the impact of the menus, and how they use a client-centered approach with gathering feedback in developing and improving the menus.

Session Takeaways

• Attendees will be able to identify best practices and strategies for developing and implementing medically tailored, culturally familiar menus.
• Attendees will be able to describe the role that culturally familiar foods and meals may have on health outcomes and quality of life of those with chronic illnesses.
• Attendees will understand the role medically tailored, culturally familiar meals have on health equity.