In a country of ever-increasing diversity, clinicians must be equipped to interact with clients of varied cultural backgrounds. Those delivering effective, empathetic health care must be cognizant of the values, beliefs and attitudes toward health that people from various populations hold. The oral health provider working toward cultural competence recognizes that cultural diversity means far more than just ethnicity and reaching all groups with various barriers can be challenging. 

This session will present cultural diversity issues, how health professionals can become more culturally competent in the delivery of patient care and ways to use this knowledge for addressing access to care barriers among the population groups discussed. DIfferent models of cultural competency will be explained, and a variety of diverse population beliefs and ideals will be presented, empasizing communication and incorporation of respect for diverse beliefs. Oral health issues of various cultures will be presented and discussed. 

1.  Describe key trends in the demographics of culturally diverse populations.

2. Identify general health beliefs and values of diverse groups.

3. Describe methods for effectively communicating with diverse populations.

4. Identify collaborative partners in the provision of oral health services to diverse populations.

5. Describe oral health issues of some cultures/ethnicities. 

Speaker, author, and vulnerable populations advocate, Sherri Lukes has been a dental hygienist for 42 years, holding advanced degrees in education.  She is associate professor emerita, Southern Illinois University, where she taught general and oral pathology, public health, and multicultural dental hygiene. Her research focus was oral pathology and migrant farmworker oral health, resulting in multiple peer reviewed publications. Sherri enjoys integrating her years of experience into CE courses to empower dental professionals in the process of care.  

She is an approved speaker of and holds a pathology fellowship in the American Academy of Dental Hygiene, is a past president of the Illinois Dental Hygienists’ Association, and a member of the American Academy of Oral Medicine. Community service includes biannual trips to central/southern Mexico, delivering preventive care in an orphanage and remote villages. Honors include Community Service, Research, and Teacher of the Year awards at SIU, Illinois Department of Public Health Oral Health Champion, and the Sunstar/RDH Award of Distinction.