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<p>Despite growing immigrant populations, healthcare systems often fail to address linguistic and cultural barriers, necessitating models like Tzu Chi’s volunteer-driven approach. This qualitative study examines how cultural competence and volunteerism enhance healthcare delivery for immigrants at the Tzu Chi Boston Service Center, a volunteer-driven organization serving diverse urban communities. Through thematic analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews, five participant observations, and 22 documents, the study explores the effectiveness of this model. Three key themes were developed: cultural competence with language services fosters trust and equity; community-based, tailored care enhances accessibility; and compassionate, holistic support promotes well-being. Volunteers’ multilingual skills and cultural sensitivity bridge linguistic and cultural divides, while community-embedded services address intersectional barriers like poverty and isolation. Tzu Chi’s model, grounded in Buddhist compassion, adapts to Chinese, Latino, and African immigrants, offering a scalable framework for multicultural settings. These findings advocate integrating cultural competence and volunteerism into healthcare policies to reduce disparities and ensure equitable care for immigrant populations.</p>

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Volunteerism and Cultural Competence: A Qualitative Study of Tzu Chi’s Immigrant Healthcare Model

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月22日

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  • I-Chun Chen,
  • Anuchit Phanumartwiwath

摘要

Despite growing immigrant populations, healthcare systems often fail to address linguistic and cultural barriers, necessitating models like Tzu Chi’s volunteer-driven approach. This qualitative study examines how cultural competence and volunteerism enhance healthcare delivery for immigrants at the Tzu Chi Boston Service Center, a volunteer-driven organization serving diverse urban communities. Through thematic analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews, five participant observations, and 22 documents, the study explores the effectiveness of this model. Three key themes were developed: cultural competence with language services fosters trust and equity; community-based, tailored care enhances accessibility; and compassionate, holistic support promotes well-being. Volunteers’ multilingual skills and cultural sensitivity bridge linguistic and cultural divides, while community-embedded services address intersectional barriers like poverty and isolation. Tzu Chi’s model, grounded in Buddhist compassion, adapts to Chinese, Latino, and African immigrants, offering a scalable framework for multicultural settings. These findings advocate integrating cultural competence and volunteerism into healthcare policies to reduce disparities and ensure equitable care for immigrant populations.