Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care

Focusing on culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) that address disparities is an essential step towards quality health care for all. Through the Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award program, NCQA is providing a forum for shared learning to explore strategies to tie cultural awareness into existing quality improvement efforts.

For the third year, NCQA, supported by The California Endowment, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Office of Minority Health, is identifying and publicizing innovative practices that improve the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. 

This award program was informed by NCQA’s earlier work (2004-2005) funded by The California Endowment to investigate the feasibility for health plans to develop and implement culturally and linguistically appropriate care and to monitor health care disparities among managed care populations. Publication of findings in peer-reviewed journals is currently in progress, including an analysis of disparity trends among Medicare managed care beneficiaries using past HEDIS® data.

Funded by The California Endowment, Supported by CMS and The Office of Minority Health.