To better serve the growing population of Hispanic patients who come through the doors of St. Joseph Medical Center, the hospital is looking forward to opening the Latino Health Center of Excellence later this fall.

The medical-surgical/telemetry unit will see patients who identify as “Spanish-speaking preferred” and serve as a place for non-acute patients to recover after undergoing a procedure.

All of the personnel on the unit speak Spanish with the hopes of making this patient population more comfortable and confident in the medical care they are receiving,” said Rennie Rogers, Director of Latino Health at St. Joseph Medical Center.  “Our goal is not only to provide language service but also to

make people feel welcome and provide the human connection that is often lost for Hispanic patients seen in the U.S. health care system.”

In addition to the medical personnel speaking the language, the Latino Health Center of Excellence will cater to the needs of its patients, by offering a dietary menu that reflects the Hispanic culture and providing access to TV programming in Spanish.

“These types of small touches allow us to connect with our patients emotionally and overall make them feel more at ease about their experience,” said Rogers. “Given that nearly half of the population in Houston is Hispanic, what we’re offering through the Latino Health Center of Excellence is long overdue.”

At this time, St. Joseph Medical Center is the only hospital in the downtown Houston area that provides the Hispanic population this offering and hopes to expand the concept beyond the medical-surgery/telemetry unit.

“We’re also setting a precedent for other Steward Health Care facilities to follow suit, providing medical care to meet the growing needs of their multicultural populations,” Rogers said.