Language, Power & Health: Dr. A. Susana Ramírez on Rethinking Public Health Communication

Dr. A. Susana Ramirez, Associate Professor of Public Health Communication at the University of California, Merced, explores the key themes from her acclaimed book The Handbook of Language in Public Health and Healthcare. Dr. Ramírez highlights how language functions as a social determinant of health, arguing that communication systems not individual patients must change if healthcare is to advance equity for linguistically diverse communities. Drawing on insights from The Handbook of Language in Public Health and Healthcare, she shows why language-concordant care outperforms interpreted encounters, how colonial language ideologies shape clinical practice, and why health literacy should be understood as a product of institutional design rather than reading ability. The discussion offers concrete pathways for redesigning training, assessment, and health system infrastructure so that multilingualism is treated as an asset and language access is built into the core of public health and healthcare delivery. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. For more information, please visit www.globalmanagementconsultancy.com. Disclaimer: A. The background music used in this video is the property of its respective developer and is protected by Copyright. Although it is a free version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy and Deepak Bhatt do not hold the rights to this music. B. Dr. A. Susana Ramirez offered profound insights from her acclaimed book, “The Handbook of Language in Public Health and Healthcare”, during her engaging discussion on the Business Talk podcast channel. The uploaded video contains copyrighted material; therefore, any modifications to graphics, music, or the presence of the author or host are strictly prohibited.