Learning to Speak Iowan

Until recently, in many U.S. cities the primary focus has been on overcoming language and cultural barriers between American doctors and immigrant patient populations. With greater numbers of foreign doctors being encouraged to work in rural communities in the United States, however, new communication barriers have arisen. For one thing, there is a wide cultural gap between the foreign doctors and the rural communities that they serve. As a result, some rural hospitals are making it mandatory for foreign physicians to complete cultural adaptation training programs. We invite you to read our recent white paper entitled "Learning to Speak Iowan" which discusses these issues, including specific examples which have recently made headlines.