Teaching cultural competence to reduce health disparities.

As part of the Genesee County, Michigan, REACH 2010 initiative, a new course, Cultural Competence in Health Care, was developed at the University of Michigan-Flint. The objective of this course is to improve the cultural competence of future health and human service providers and to reduce persistent racial and ethnic health disparities. This article describes the course and the important role that REACH 2010 partners played in its development and implementation. Course materials, methods, and student feedback are summarized, along with lessons learned.