promotoras & community health workers network promotores & community health workers...
TRANSCRIPT
PROMOTORAS & COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS NETWORK
Promotores & Community Health Workers
Addressing Health Disparities
© 2008 Visión Y Compromiso
• Who are the Promotor and Community Health Workers?
• How Promotores are addressing health disparities.
• Next Steps
Who Are Promotores & Community Health Workers?
• Promotores are community members who carry on a tradition practiced worldwide – documented as early as the 17th century, that found its way into Latin America in the 1960’s and 1970’s and eventually migrating to the U.S.
• Today Promotores are found across the U.S., and are represented in subpopulations of every ethnic group.
• In California, Promotores are mainly Spanish speaking women – and a growing population of men – of every age group and economic background.
Vision y Compromiso Network
• 14 Regions throughout California– Larger cities (L.A. , San Diego & Bay Area)– Rural areas (Central Calif. and No. Cal.)– Coastal region
• 4,000 Promotores statewide• Promotores Include:– Health Educators– Outreach & Case Workers– Community Health Workers– Volunteers & Advocates
Structure• 14 Leadership Committees in CA – Advocate on statewide and local
issues
• Regional Coordinator Committee– Nominated or volunteer to be
regional leader– All decisions of priority and
direction happen within committee
• Advocacy Committee– Provides legislative guidance to
network– Provides leadership and coordination
to advocacy activities
How Promotores Do What They Do…
• They stay current on the issues
• They strategize …• They take advantage of every
learning/training opportunity or they create it– Popular education– Incorporating adult learning
styles
• Most importantly they know how to reach the community they serve
Promotores: Address Health Disparities • Educate and inform the Latino community:
Education: Parental involvement. Immigration: Identifying available services, changes,
keeping community up to date on reform efforts. Health care: Systems change, public coverage
program assistance, location of clinics and other services
• Advocacy (on all of the above) Annual legislative Day Consistent advocacy and connectivity Mobilization on our issues
Addressing Health Disparities in New Ways
• Centers for Medicaid and Medicare new ruling: Non-clinical services are reimbursable and can be provided by non-clinical staff. VyC is working with other organizations to create state
policy• Promotores’ ACA role will demonstrate ability to
reach communities: Certified Outreach Educators Enrollment Entities will demonstrate ability to reach
communities.• Local project to address inconsistent coverage
among children could create statewide policy.
Next Steps
• Obtain professional recognition for Promotores.– Create certification process– Can result in job availability for Promotores
• Utilize knowledge, experience and abilities of Promotores in the creation of policy.
• Increase Advocacy presence.
