LATINO HEALTH COALITION

Background: The Center for International Understanding’s Latino Initiative provides North Carolina policy leaders with a fresh approach to immigration integration. North Carolina has one of the fastest growing Latino populations of any state, and most of the state’s newest residents are from Mexico. The Latino Health Coalition, an outgrowth of the Latino Initiative, provides NC health leaders with resources and information to create practical, insightful solutions that incorporate a better understanding of Latino/Hispanic cultures into health care delivery.

Goals:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the overall social and historical context of Mexico; cultural attitudes and behaviors surrounding health care in Mexico, including mental health care and the use of natural medicine.
• Gain knowledge about the infrastructure for and accessibility of the Mexican health care system, including public and private treatment options; the education and training of health care professionals in Mexico to improve the recruitment and preparation of Latinos who are entering the health field in North Carolina.
• Build on existing knowledge regarding Latino health in North Carolina, and contribute to an ongoing process, through discussions as well as concrete actions, that will lead to improvement of care and a better awareness of health care concerns with regards to the Latino community.
• Who is involved?
  Since 2003, more than 83 direct service and policy-level administrators from across North Carolina have participated in the Latino Health Coalition.  Examples of health professions represented include:  physicians, nurses, clinical social workers, medical administration, mental health professionals, community health foundations, and health department directors.  
•  Involvement of Latino leaders in health-related professions is critical to the learning process.  Latino Leader Fellows will have dual roles as both colleagues and cultural/community liaisons.  It is also important to consider how to involve diverse leaders from all ethnic groups in your community.

NC Partners of the Latino Health Coalition 2009: Early partners on the 2009 Latino Health Coalition include the Mental Health Association of North Carolina, National Association of Social Workers, NC Office of Rural Health and Community Care, NC Area Health Education Center and the NC Hospital Association. 

Cost of the program:
The cost for the Latino Health Coalition is $4,500 for 7 days of international programming and 2 days of study sessions in NC.  Cost includes airfare and shared accommodations in Mexico. Single accommodations are available at an additional cost.

Schedule/Tentative Dates:

• May 2009 (TBD).  Initial local meetings.  (1 hour)
  Confirmed participants will meet for an initial gathering facilitated by the Center to discuss the program and to begin preparing for pre-work. 
• August 21, 2009.  Study in NC  (1 day)
  Presentations, readings and facilitated discussions led by scholars and experts from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and other universities, as well as on-the-ground health and community leaders.
• September 21-27, 2009.  Study in Mexico (7 days)
  Seven-day program in Mexico to better understand Mexican health care, training of health care professionals, Latino culture and related issues.
• November 6, 2009.  Planning for Change (1 day)
  Teams report regarding their plan of action and methods for disseminating lessons learned for the next 6 months.  Discussions across teams also include exploring potential for coordinating efforts on similar projects. 
•  May 2010 (TBD).  Report on Progress.  (3 hour meeting)
  Reconvene to report across teams regarding progress made and lessons learned. The Center will support delegates to collect local solutions that could assist other North Carolina communities.
  
  What are some results of the Latino Health Coalition? Here is a sampling of recent outcomes:
  
• The Avery/Watauga region team partnered with an Appalachian State University sociology professor to create a bilingual survey and has created focus groups in order to better know the community of Latinos in its area. 
• Duke University Health System administrators supported the development of a program for training and preparing Spanish-speaking women who were trained as nurses in their home countries to be moved toward licensure in the US. The program represented a collaborative effort between the health system, the Duke AHEC, and the Duke University School of Nursing.
• Eastern North Carolinian policy makers helped to coordinate and facilitate the 5th Annual North Carolina Latino Health Symposium which will be held in Rocky Mount, NC. The symposium’s focus areas include: Mental Health/Substance Abuse issues; Legal Issues in Immigration as they relate to Health and Human Services; and Cultural Competency and Cross-Cultural Experiences
• Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte launched a 40-foot mobile clinic, called the Community Care Cruiser, to provide immunizations and primary care to youth up to age 17. So far, approximately 80 percent of the young people being seen by the mobile unit in Mecklenburg County are reporting a Latino/Hispanic background.
• FirstHealth of the Carolinas partnered with Montgomery Community College and trained 14 Patient Navigators in Montgomery County to serve as liaisons between their cultural communities and the health care system. Students from many ethnic backgrounds have completed the unique training program designed to help members of ethnically diverse populations find their way through the local health care system.

About the Center for International Understanding:
Founded in 1979, the Center for International Understanding has sent more than 8,000 North Carolinians to 48 different countries to learn from and about the world.  The Center addresses international issues affecting North Carolina.  Its unique blend of global education includes short-term immersion programs abroad, coupled with study and training in North Carolina.  The Center works primarily with policy leaders and educators, providing them with the experiences and tools necessary to guide their communities and the State through changes associated with an increasingly interdependent world.  The Center for International Understanding is a public service program of The University of North Carolina.

Center for International Understanding’s Latino Initiative provides For more information:  Please contact Melissa Edwards Smith, Latino Initiative Program Manager, medwards@northcarolina.edu, 919-420-1360, ext. 204.