Spectrum News 1 Black History Month—Health and Wellness Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 05 March 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Spectrum News 1 Black History Month—Health and Wellness The implicit bias training that Cedars-Sinai provides for its employees ultimately benefits patients when they interact with care providers who understand their culture. Photo by Getty Images. African American doctor talking to a patient in the corridor of a hospital while wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic Spectrum News 1 recently interviewed Cedars-Sinai nurses Michelle Williams, PhD, MSN, RN, executive director of the Nursing Department for Medical Services, and Chief Nursing Officer Anita Girard, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, about their experience with Cedars-Sinai's new implicit bias training for employees, which was implemented over the past couple of years. A new California law will soon require nursing schools to include implicit bias training in their programs, and hospitals must cover it in new graduate training programs. These courses will educate nurses about how to recognize their unconscious biases and how to avoid letting them affect their interactions with patients. Williams told Spectrum News 1 about the impact implicit bias training had at Cedars-Sinai when it first rolled out. She recalled overhearing staff saying they were surprised to realize they had unconscious biases, and they expressed a desire to address them. "They did not mean to be offensive, and … they were going to pay closer, closer attention to those things," Williams told Spectrum News 1. Implicit bias can contribute to health disparities, particularly in the Black community and especially regarding pain management. If a Black patient says they’re in pain, some caregivers might make a biased assumption "that they may not be in pain; they’re drug-seeking," Williams told Spectrum News 1. Girard said Cedars-Sinai's training program included an hourlong digital module depicting microaggressions in different vignettes and settings. It “really gave people some time to reflect upon their own self and the biases that they might hold against people of different cultures, different colors, different genders," Girard told Spectrum News 1. Williams thinks the training will ultimately benefit hospitalized patients as they interact with care providers who understand their culture. She hopes "that brings them some relief," Williams told Spectrum News 1. "We are here doing what we do because we care, and we want to see a healthy society." Click here to watch the complete story from Spectrum News 1. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Spectrum News 1 Black History Month—Health and Wellness Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home