International Projects Demand Special Attention

Overseas partnerships and campuses are on the rise. Here's what HR leaders need to know to manage healthcare workers abroad, whether local or expat.

Managing and supporting a diverse US workforce can be a challenge, but human resource issues rise exponentially when a healthcare system expands overseas.

International projects, partnerships, and campuses are proliferating, and renowned organizations like the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Partners Healthcare have international programs.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has had an international healthcare presence for more than 20 years, with agreements and partnerships in 15 countries. Along the way, UPMC has honed its expertise in managing international teams of healthcare workers.

Why Cultural Competency Matters in Hospitals

From communication barriers to cultural differences among clinicians, international projects demand special considerations from HR, says Cheryl Brill, RN, senior vice president of clinical operations and quality at UPMC.

Brill spent five years at ISMETT, UPMC's transplant facility in Palermo, Italy, and has been UPMC's key operations contact for collaboration in Singapore.

Brill advises HR professionals to be aware of differences, both in language and culture, between US workers and foreign workers. These differences do not always emerge in ways you might expect, she says.

Managing Locals: Be Aware of Differences
Often, a language barrier may only be a small part of the issue, she says. For example, if a report or project is due Monday, most American managers would expect it by the time they went home that evening.

In countries such as China, however, deadlines and meeting times can be seen more as suggestions rather than absolutes.

The American manager might assume that a Chinese worker who failed to meet a deadline did not understand it due to language problems, but the issue could be that they did understand, but have different cultural expectations as to what deadlines actually mean.

"We have our own approach to finishing things and moving projects forward," says Brill. "The Chinese may be slower to start, but they are fast finishers."

It's important to manage one's expectations and avoid alienating the foreign partners, she says.

3 Ways HR Facilitates International Healthcare Partnerships

Managing Expats: You Will Be Their Lifeline
Any relocated employee will need some TLC as they adjust to their new home, but most expat American workers need HR to go the extra mile.

"It's the little things," Brill says. "The food you can't get. Being a minority for the first time. All the new rules and regulations. Cultural differences and customs you might not understand or might not make sense. … Just the experience of living internationally."

Living and working abroad is an enriching experience, but coming up to speed can be a challenge for workers, even if they have lived abroad previously. It's important to properly prepare them prior to departure and provide ongoing support once they're abroad, says Brill.

"It starts before you send person to their assignment … it's very important for human resources to hire a local agency to help with transition elements, such as the bureaucratic process—even just getting your TV hooked up."

Providing these workers with list of local tips such as where to buy groceries, local restaurants popular with expats, and social groups can be helpful during the beginning of the transition.

"HR is a lifeline," says Brill. "I talked to my HR director routinely when I was abroad. Knowing I could contact them was very important."

Despite the challenges, international programs and the exchange of ideas and culture between healthcare professionals they facilitate are critical and worthwhile, says Brill.

"I get to meet people, and they're not really so different from me, and I'm not so different from them," she says. "We're working together to make things better in a healthcare setting, where it's really needed."