Multicultural Health Fair will be held Oct. 1

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Make plans to "Celebrate and Educate" on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Backus Hospital's first ever Multicultural Health Fair.

Fifteen cultures will be represented: Greece, China, Puerto Rico, Korea, Native American, Black American, African American, Philippines, Israel, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cape Verde/Portugal, India, Poland and Russia.

Coordinated by the Backus Cultural Diversity Council, the fair's goal is to raise awareness about the multi-ethnic patients who visit Backus and live in the community. Cultures represented were based upon statistics gathered from the hospital's language services.

Held from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the event will have information geared towards healthcare providers on a culture's unique customs and cultural preferences relevant to healthcare.

Handouts will be available for each culture containing information on birth customs, gender issues, communication and respect styles, and end-of-life issues.

The event will also include ethnic food samples, recipes and musical samplings. Volunteers are needed to help represent the various cultures during the event.

Volunteers will answer questions and hand out healthcare information from their respective cultures. A minimum of a two-hour commitment is requested, and volunteers need not be Backus employees. Volunteers are especially needed to represent Haiti.

"Our focus is to make this an educational event that celebrates the great diversity that makes up our patient and employee population," said Alice Facente, a nurse in the Backus Education Department. "It's sure to be a fun time."

For more information, or if you would like to help, contact Ms. Facente at 889-8331, ext. 2405, or Gretchen Romilly at 889-8331, ext. 4001.

If you want to go:

What: "Celebrate and Educate" Multicultural Healthcare Fair
When: Thursday, Oct. 1, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Where: Backus Hospital entry level conference rooms
For more information: Contact Alice Facente at 889-8331, ext. 2405

Volunteers are needed to help answer questions and hand-out information.
Please contact Alice Facente at 889-8331, ext. 2405, or Gretchen Romilly at 889-8331, ext. 4001.