Developing a Health Care Cultural Broker Program: Insights from Hispanic/Latino and Hmong Communities in Central Wisconsin

Developing a Health Care Cultural Broker Program: Insights from Hispanic/Latino and Hmong Communities in Central Wisconsin

In early 2025, the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS) Research Partners and the Medical College of Wisconsin – Central Wisconsin (MCW-CW) gathered information via one-on-one interviews with Hispanic/Latino and Hmong residents of Central Wisconsin about their direct experiences accessing and navigating area health care systems. The interview feedback was supplemented with additional qualitative data gathered from two focus groups with community health workers/health navigators and two deliberative dialogues conducted in Spanish with Hispanic/Latino community members. In total, input from 59 individuals was collected and synthesized, resulting in a rich and extensive set of qualitative feedback that can help inform the design of a cultural broker program that is responsive to the unique needs and challenges of Central Wisconsin’s Hispanic/Latino and Hmong communities.

A health care cultural broker helps patients and their families navigate the healthcare system by bridging cultural gaps and language barriers. A health care cultural broker can help build trust between patients and providers; can offer support to patients in navigating the health care system; and can help the health care system provide services that are mindful of a patient’s cultural background and language.

Available Reports
The following documents from this important initiative are available for download:

Executive Summary (download pdf) – Brief highlights of the project’s key findings.

Summary Report (download pdf) – A comprehensive overview of the project’s methodology and a detailed synthesis of the participants’ qualitative input. In-depth information relevant to the development of a health care cultural broker project is organized by topic, including:

  • Barriers to Accessing and Navigating Medical Care in Central Wisconsin
  • Communication/Language Barriers and Feedback on Interpretation Services
  • Difficulties Navigating Health Care Due to Cultural Beliefs and Practices
  • Building Trust in Hispanic/Latino and Hmong Communities

Supplemental Appendices (download pdf) – Detailed supporting materials, including the interview and discussion guides, and notes from the focus groups and deliberative dialogues.

This project was made possible through collaboration with the Hmong and Hispanic Communication Network (H2N), Healthy Opportunities for Latin Americans (HOLA), and Let’s Talk Marathon County, with funding from WIPPS, Marshfield Clinic Health System, and in-kind support from MCW-CW. The findings represent diverse perspectives across ages, family structures, employment situations, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds, with 71% of interviews conducted in Spanish or Hmong.