Navigating health care is hard enough when English is your first language—imagine the difficulty when American Sign is your first language. How can we bridge the linguistic and cultural gaps needed to better care for patients? University of Utah Health is proud to present Language of Care, an incredible story of how a community of Deaf patients are breaking barriers by co-designing their own care with University of Utah Health researchers.
Made possible by generous support from the Kahlert Foundation, Language of Care premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2023. The film showcases an innovative approach to health care being co-created by Michelle Litchman, PhD, her research team, and members of the Deaf community from across the country. Together, they lead a program called Deaf Diabetes Can Together. Litchman is a nurse practitioner, diabetes researcher, and Medical Director of the Intensive Diabetes Education and Support (IDEAS) Program at the University of Utah.
Nearly 40 million people in the U.S. live with diabetes, but the majority of Deaf people with diabetes do not have equal access to health care. The film tells the story of how Deaf Diabetes Can Together is creating solutions for health equity in the Deaf community. By understanding the community’s unique needs, the team is tailoring educational and other types of resources to increase access to accurate information and care. This model is being replicated for rural, Pacific Islander and other under-resourced communities.
“Together, with our patients, we’re changing the way heath care works,” Litchman explains in Language of Care.
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ross Kauffman came to Utah to document the Language of Care story. Kauffman has directed a number of award-winning films, including Born into Brothels, Of Medicine and Miracles, and Tigerland. Language of Care was produced by Robin Honan with executive producers Joe Borgenicht of U of U Health, award-winning documentarian Geralyn Dreyfous, and Heather Kahlert of the Kahlert Foundation.
Language of Care is the third film in the U of U Health-produced series New Narratives in Health, which brings together scientists and artists to more broadly communicate advances in knowledge. The first film in the series, One in a Million, tells the story of how advanced genomic technologies combined with expert clinical insights vastly improved the quality of life for Tyler, a boy with a rare, debilitating disease. The second, Meet Me Where I Am, follows Adolphus Nickleberry through his journey at U of U Health's Intensive Outpatient Clinic as he rewrites his story, which had been shaped by health disparities.
Learn more at languageofcareutah.org.
# # #
About University of Utah Health
University of Utah Health provides leading-edge and compassionate care for a referral area that encompasses Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education in the region, U of U Health has a $458 million research enterprise and trains scientists and the majority of Utah’s physicians and health care providers at its Colleges of Health, Nursing, and Pharmacy and Schools of Dentistry and Medicine. With more than 20,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and five hospitals. U of U Health is recognized nationally as a transformative health care system and provider of world-class care.
Book Review: Leave It in the Tea Tin by CJ Skipper
She and I, ours is not a tale of love."It's too seedy to be love," she claims. "I get you off and you leave money on my bedside table." Genre: Contemporary, Literature Word Count: 5,260 Average Smashwords Rating: 5/5 stars My Rating: 5/5 stars I wasn't sure how to review this book at fi... Readmore
Techniques For Mounting A Successful Mobile Marketing Campaign
Mobile marketing is currently the hottest tool for marketers as more and more people, or potential buyers, now own a cell phone. As this type of marketing is relatively new, there is not much advice around. This article contains a few tips and ideas to help you to get started with m... Readmore
What Is FABULOUS Leadership?
Leadership trainers often review some of the necessities, and assets needed, for someone to be an effective leader. However, isn't there a difference between being effective, good, great, and FABULOUS? Amongst many definitions, the Oxford Dictionary, used extraordinary and wonderful... Readmore
6 Cases Where Budget Cuts Don't Create/Cause Real Savings
Are you, or do you wish to be, a real leader, manager, or a place holder? How will you react when there are obstacles, adversity, or financial challenges? Will you be myopic, attempting to put a band - aid on a hemorrhage. or will you look at the bigger picture, identify and realize ... Readmore
Want to Be Rich? Forget Passion - Follow Money
What I'm about to say goes against almost every self-help book out there. It goes against what you've been told time and time again. And it might even go against your moral code. Then again, if you want to be rich, you might want to consider where your 'moral code' came from. The a... Readmore
Getting Hooked on Pills Can Be Life-Threatening
Abusing prescription drugs and getting hooked on them has been a grave concern across the United States that is affecting not only people's health, but also their social and economic well-being. According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), nearly 2.1 milli... Readmore
Employee Evaluation Tools Can Become Obsolete - Bottom 10% of Employees Must Go
We have seen proclamations touting such-and-such a new program or research to be the latest and greatest thing that will revolutionize companies. But is research from these promoters fool proof? Invariably time might prove that new revolutionary management program an albatross aroun... Readmore
Break Through Fear and Succeed
We have all encountered fear at one time or another, but it is how we handle fear that makes all of the difference. I am one who believes that being fearful at times is natural (since we are human), but I also feel like it is important to learn how to control fear or else it will co... Readmore
Can Your Company Grow?
If the economic climate seems to be shifting in a way that would suggest now is the time to grow your operation, and you decide to bring down the checkered flag and announce growth plans for your company, can your company execute on that strategy? I ask not because your people don'... Readmore
How To Form A Grateful Heart At Home
Someone gives your child something: a gift, a treat, a compliment. Immediately, you prompt your child: "What do you say, Honey?" Most parents have been there. We're trying to teach our children to express appropriate gratitude. At best, we hope our children will develop a thankful ... Readmore