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Too often, a lack of healthcare coverage forces Latinos into the emergency room for non-emergency healthcare.
Now, thanks to a new grant, the Center for Healthy Neighborhoods at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF) will create a promotores program to help local Latino families avoid unnecessary ER trips, according to The Orange County Register.
Why are ER trips an issue?
The community in Fullerton, Calif. (35.24% Latino population), faces numerous obstacles that prevent them from obtaining quality health care, which leads to extremely high rates of preventable ER visits, according to Kaiser Health Foundation-Anaheim.
These obstacles include being “linguistically isolated,” lacking awareness, and affordability.
How the new program will reduce ER trips
The $40,000 grant from Kaiser Health will enable CSUF to train 15 area residents as health promoters—known as promotores de salud in the Latino community.
These residents will go into the community and connect residents to available resources.
This program, called Latino/Latina Neighborhood Health, aims to increase access to health care and social services for the largely underserved Latino community in Fullerton.
The nine-month program will also collect data in an effort to further reduce health disparities among Fullerton’s Latino communities. The new center will partner with the Fullerton School District and local health and social service agencies.
“[Latinos] that live in the neighborhoods that surround the center will learn new ways to be more resilient,” said Jessie Jones, center director.
Read more about Latinos, promotores, and health care here:
- Stories of Latino Community Health Workers: “It’s Just an Honest Care She Has for the People.” #SaludSupport #SaludPromotores http://salud.to/2vWqozM
- Latinos Still Least Likely to Have Health Insurance, If Trumpcare or Obamacare #SaludSupport #SaludInsurance http://salud.to/2wZ6kAv
- Promotoras in California Have Community on the Right Track toward Improving Health #SaludSupport #SaludPromotores http://salud.to/2vW5X5T
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
