Testimonials:

Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives
“One of the things that I liked best about Sondra’s professional services was that, despite her extensive travel schedule, she took the time to interview six chief nurse executives in Massachusetts so that she could tailor her presentation to our needs. Her effort paid off in a humorous, practical program that was very well received.”
- Alice L. Rose, RN, MS, Chair, Program Committee

Kaiser-Permanente Medical Centers
“Approximately 600 nurses went through the series of workshops that Sondra presented. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Her presentation style and methods challenged and engaged attendees who participated enthusiastically throughout the day-long programs.”
- Ann Sweeney, R.N., M.S.N., Former Director, Medical Center Education

San Diego County Department of Public Health
“The training you presented on the topic of ‘Cross-Cultural Issues in Health Care’ was excellent. You are a dynamic expert on your topic and the participants made many positive comments. You successfully engaged the group and smoothly incorporated their experiences into your comments. I can clearly see why you are so popular and I do hope we can utilize you again on other projects.”
- Beth Levin, Health Services Training

The Harley Street Clinic, London
“Sondra Thiederman gave the nurses at Harley Street Clinic an excellent program on ‘Cultural Diversity.’ Sondra highlighted the expectations of patients coming into the hospital from various countries and explained why and how they acquired these expectations. I am happy to recommend Sondra to anyone who is interested in improving communication among diverse staff and patients.”
- Bridget Maher, Training Coordinator

Sharp Hospital
“Sondra did a marvelous job of developing a program on cross-cultural patient care that was full of tools that will enable our staff to immediately do their jobs better. Her train-the-trainer program was also great in that, although we are not experts in the field, she made us feel comfortable and confident in presenting this sometimes complex material.”
- Carol Scheckler, M.P.H., Manager, Community and Clinic Education

Oklahoma Nurses Association
“Thank you so much for participating in the Oklahoma Nurses Association Annual Convention. Your presentation was extremely well received. Again, thanks for a job well done!”
- Cindy Challis Orr, CAE, Executive Director

Health Care Association of New York
“For 90 minutes, Sondra kept the participants engaged as she spoke from her office in San Diego. She told amusing anecdotes, employed industry-specific examples, and took an involving approach that got her important message across. No matter what your industry, if you are thinking of producing a Web conference on any aspect of diversity, bias-reduction, or cross-cultural issues, I would highly recommend Sondra Thiederman.”
- Cindy Levernois, Director, Behavioral Health and Workforce

American Cancer Society
“Sondra’s expertise in cultural diversity was extremely helpful in training Patient Service staff and volunteers in how to better serve the ethnic populations of our region. Not only does she have a wealth of information, but her training style enables participants to better understand and share their own cultures and how they relate to others. She is also very much in tune with her audience and can describe situations that relate directly to their day-to-day work. I would highly recommend Sondra for any group that needs to interact with customers or clients from other cultures.”
- Deborah Hoffman, Former Director, Patient Services

Emergency Nurses Association
“Our general session speakers are carefully chosen for their ability to send the audience away equipped to take what they have learned back into the work environment. Your presentation did just that and more. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you again.”
- Deborah Smith, M.S., Chair, Annual Meeting Committee

Memorial Health System, South Bend Indiana
“Sondra made a real difference in the business climate of our organization. Her presentation inspired the executive team of the Health System to congratulate the planning committee for finding such a valuable speaker.”
- Deidra B. Turner, Diversity Officer

American Medical Group Association
“One of the things I liked best about Sondra’s presentation to our physicians and administrators was how she was aware of the diversity of the audience and took special care to address their questions honestly and candidly. We were so impressed with her work that we plan to invite her to participate in future AMGA programs.”
- Denise Mann, Former Vice President

Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
“Thank you for your superb presentation, ‘Bridging the Cultural Gap to Better Patient Care.’ As usual, your evaluations were excellent and the resources you provided are invaluable to our continued success. I very much look forward to working with you again.”
- Ellen L. Rosen, RN, MN., Nurse Educator

Cromwell Hospital, London
“Sondra has the ability through her own personality and knowledge to hold the audience’s attention. The participants even wanted the program to go on longer. The staff at the hospital benefited tremendously from these courses – it will make a real difference in how we approach our patients and in how effective we are at delivering the best possible care.”
- Geraldine G. McHugh, Administrator

University of California San Diego Medical Center
“Sondra, thank you so much for the outstanding programs. We were extremely pleased with the sensitive, enthusiastic, and thorough approach you took to the topic. Most important the material you provided will be immediately applicable in the workplace – we couldn’t have asked for more.”
- Heather Harrison, Staff Education and Development

Palomar-Pomerado Health System
“When Sondra came to present several workshops on diversity in the health care setting, she delivered a productive balance of practical information, experiential techniques, and group discussion; all of which served to provide us with tools to be more effective in a multicultural environment. I would strongly recommend Dr. Thiederman’s programs to anyone who is concerned with these issues.”
- Irene M. Brown, Director of Education

American College of Health Care Administration
“Keeping the attention of over 300 attendees is a difficult task, but, like the pro you obviously are, you made it look easy. On top of that, your presentation was exactly what we needed. I am still getting glowing comments from those who were fortunate enough to attend.”
- Jan Lamoglia, Director of Professional Development

San Gabriel Valley Nursing Consortium
“As President of the San Gabriel Valley Nursing Consortium, I am delighted to recommend Sondra Thiederman as a trainer on the topic of cultural diversity in the health care setting. Sondra addressed our membership on the dual topic of managing a diverse workforce and cross-cultural patient care. Her workshop contained both practical material delivered in a lecture format and audience participation. The program was meaningful and applicable to the participant’s work environments. I would highly recommend Sondra to any organization that is seeking solutions to the problems created by cultural ignorance.”
- Jane M. Cardea, R.N., Ph.D., Former President

Caritas Christi Health Care System
“Sondra, you made everything so easy. The evaluations were all outstanding! I certainly hope our paths cross again.”
- Jane Metzger, Vice President, Clinical Operations

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
“Comments about the programs Sondra presented at our Medical Center poured in for days following the meetings and every one has been superlative. Many people said that Dr. Thiederman’s material made this conference one of the best they had ever attended.”
- Jeffrey Pomerance, MD, MPH, Chairperson, NPA/CPA Annual Conference

The Princess Grace Hospital, London
“Sondra’s programs on cultural diversity were extremely useful to us here at The Princess Grace Hospital in London. As you would expect, we have many patients from overseas and cultural barriers can interfere with our ability to give the best of care. I highly recommend Sondra’s practical programs to anyone facing similar challenges.”
- Jeniffer E. Heath, Director of Operations

Good Shepherd Medical Center, Longview Texas
“Sondra, the ‘Cultural Diversity’ seminar was excellent! It was at once intelligent, articulate, and very well received.”
- Jerry Adair, President & CEO

Children’s Hospital and Health Center, San Diego
“I wanted to thank you for the excellent program you presented to our management staff on ‘Cultural Diversity in the Workplace.’ Your style of presentation was informative but not threatening and the exercises were very helpful in getting your message across. Again, my thanks for a superb job in addressing a critical and sensitive topic. I am hopeful that we can invite you again to further develop our sensitivity to the many issues involved in creating a coherent, effective, and comfortable work environment for all of our staff.”
- Judy Gust, Vice President, Human Resources

Jersey City Medical Center
“Sondra has, of course, a great deal of knowledge, but what impressed me the most about the series of programs she did for us was how she facilitated the open discussion of diversity issues that had been buried for years. Once out in the open, we were able to begin the healing process.”
- Kathy Martin, R.N., Former Director, Med/Surg. Nursing

Scripps Memorial Hospital
“Sondra offered a series of programs on cross-cultural patient care to a staff that was itself culturally diverse. At first we were concerned that this might be an awkward situation that would stifle discussion, but somehow Sondra made it work and, in doing so, made a real difference in our workplace.”
- Lee Fitzgerald, Director, Patient Relations

Regional West Medical Center
“Sondra came to Scottsbluff to help us better understand how to care for culturally-diverse patients. The great thing about her content was that she provided us with skills we could immediately apply in the workplace.”
- Lenore Whaley, R.N., Professional Education Coordinator

The Methodist Hospital, Houston (International Patient Services)
“When Sondra traveled to our hospital to conduct a program on caring for international patients, I knew it would be a great conference, but it ended up surpassing even my expectations. She received rave reviews most of which focused on how well she balanced her extensive practical knowledge with her ability to entertain. My only regret is that I didn’t attend the entire program. Next time, I’ll go as a participant so I won’t miss a single word.”
- Lois R. Meek, Program Coordinator, Continuing Education

Case Management Society of America (Dallas/Ft.Worth Chapter)
“Sondra, we want to thank you very much for speaking at our 5th Annual Conference. You were instrumental in making the conference a success. Some of the comments I have heard include: ‘Outstanding presentation,’ ‘Very impressive,’ ‘One of the best programs I have seen,’ ‘Inspiring yet very practical.’ Thank you for being everything you promised to be and more.”
- Micheline Johnson

Humana Hospital, London
“When Sondra visited the United Kingdom to speak to the nurses of Humana Hospital, she did a remarkable job of discussing the attitudes, anxieties, and difficulties of nursing patients from different cultures. Sondra handled the group with imagination and extreme competence. She held their interest and motivated them to complete various tasks throughout the day. I would recommend her most highly to anyone seeking this kind of information. I only wish she lived in the U.K. so I could access her speaking abilities on a regular basis.”
- Mrs. E. Birnie, Associate Executive Director, Nursing

Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
“Dr. Sondra Thiederman gave an outstanding program on ‘How to Manage the Multi-Cultural Workforce.” Her quick wit and light-hearted mannerisms were well-received and perfect for a delicate topic like this. In addition, Dr. Thiederman is personable, deeply knowledgeable, and prepared to customize her presentation to meet the needs of your organization.”
- Pam Shea, President

Carolinas Health Care System
“Thank you for your participation in our conference, “The Competitive Edge: Excellence in HealthCare for a Diverse Community.” We have received wonderfully positive feedback from your presentation. You shared with the participants tools that they can put into daily practice in their work settings that will help them better meet the needs of their diverse customers. I look forward to the possibility of working with you again in the future.”
- Peggy Davis Harris, Vice President

Alta Bates Medical Center
“I was very impressed with Sondra at our “Culture Shock 2000” Board Retreat. She took a keen interest in everyone there and showed great insight and creativity as she worked with me and the staff on developing a program that was perfect for our needs. Moreover, Sondra facilitated discussions in large and small groups in a manner that made people comfortable enough to be honest about their concerns. We used Sondra’s ten ‘Culture Smart’ strategies throughout our retreat to help us better understand the cultures in which we now find ourselves.”
- Ron Marshall, Vice-President, Corporate Development

University of Southern California School of Nursing
“Dr. Sondra Thiederman has served as guest faculty for the Institute of Continuing Education on four occasions. Each time her discussion of potentially judgment-laden information about other cultures has allowed learners to examine their biases and immediately increase their ability to deliver service to a diverse public.”
- Sheila K. Byrne, RN, MN, Director, Institute of Continuing Education

Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital
“Sondra’s presentation on how to manage a foreign-born health care staff was concise, well organized, and extremely practical to the needs of the audience. I would strongly recommend her as an excellent resource for presentations on all aspects of cross-cultural communication.”
- Susan V. Butcher, Director Food and Nutrition

St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach
“Sondra, the evaluations from the program you did were glowing. Almost everyone said the program objectives were achieved, the content was relevant, and you, the speaker, were knowledgeable and experienced. When asked what they learned most, they responded that it was how biases and cultural ignorance can gravely interfere with effective patient care.”
- Vickie Dolan, RN, Director of Education

St. Joseph’s Hospital, Atlanta
“Dr. Thiederman made certain her workshop was in keeping with Saint Joseph’s approach to diversity. Her wealth of information and engaging approach to this sensitive topic make her an asset to any company in the process of exploring their own diversity issues.”
- Vickie M. Moore, M.S.N., Vice President, Operations

The Hospital of the Good Samaritan
“Since your presentation on cross-cultural health care, we have received many calls from people commenting on how much they got out of the workshop. We hope to arrange for a follow-up program so that we can take advantage still further of your obvious knowledge and expertise.”
- Victoria C. Salter, R.N., Former Coordinator, Nursing Education