Fiscal Year 08 Latino Health Initiative Major Programs and Activities
Community Programs and Campaigns
“Ama tu Vida” Campaign:
The “Ama tu Vida” campaign promotes health and wellness in the Latino community. The “Ama tu Vida” campaign invites the community to make a commitment to living a healthier life, and encourages them to adopt lifelong health promotion and disease prevention habits. For more information please contact Paola C. Fernán-Zegarra at 240-777-4173 or e-mail at Paola.Fernan-Zegarra@montgomerycountymd.gov
Asthma Management Pilot Program:
This pilot program is designed to increase the knowledge of Latino parents of children with asthma regarding the condition and its management, and increase awareness and utilization of pediatric clinical services. The desired outcome is Latino families who are empowered to appropriately self manage asthma in their children. For more information please contact Paola Fernán-Zegarra at 240-777-4173 or e-mail at Paola.Fernan-Zegarra@montgomerycountymd.gov
Health Promoters Program ”Vías de la Salud”:
The mission of the HPP is to train Latino community leaders as volunteer health promoters to inform, educate and facilitate access to health programs available to the community and to conduct health promotion activities. For more information please contact Mercedes Moore at 240-777-3470 or e-mail at Mercedes.Moore@montgomerycountymd.gov
Latino Youth Wellness Program (LYWP):
This program provides the unique opportunity for participating youth between the ages of 12-19 and their families to engage in a holistic approach to wellness by including components that address mental, physical, social, environmental and emotional issues in a culturally and linguistically competent manner. The LYWP has a component to improve physical fitness among the youth in the program. For more information please contact Paola C. Fernán-Zegarra at 240-777-4173 or e-mail at Paola.Fernan-Zegarra@montgomerycountymd.gov
Pilot Program for Licensure of Foreign-Trained Nursing Professionals:
This program is a multi-institutional collaboration of the LHI, Montgomery College, Holy Cross Hospital, Washington Adventist Hospital and Workforce Investment Board. The program provides a comprehensive, integrated and coordinated approach to effectively address the needs and decrease the challenges and barriers Latino nurses encounter in Maryland to obtain the nursing license. The program incorporates four components: support and guidance system, academics, practical exposure to the U.S. healthcare system, and mentoring. For more information please contact Carmen I. Sáenz at 240-777-4796 or e-mail at Carmen.Saenz@montgomerycountymd.gov
Smoking Cessation Program for Latinos:
The goal of the program is to reduce the prevalence of cigarette use among low-income Latinos who live or work in Montgomery County. Smoking cessation interventions are available to current smokers willing to try to quit smoking. For more information please contact Mercedes Moore at 240-777-3470 or e-mail at Mercedes.Moore@montgomerycountymd.gov
System Navigator & Interpreter Program:
The goal of this program is to guide, provide resources and professional medical interpretation in a culturally competent manner in order to facilitate access to health care for low-income, uninsured Latinos. Another component of the program is the Bilingual Health Services Information Line (301-270-8432) which informs callers of existing health and human services and other related programs in Montgomery County and assists them to successfully access these services. For more information please contact Luis Martinez at 240-777-1864 or e-mail at Luis.Martinez@montgomerycountymd.gov
Special Projects
Emergency Preparedness Project:
This project is a collaborative effort between the Latino Health Initiative and the Montgomery Advanced Practice Center (APC). This project intends to increase awareness, understanding and knowledge of public health emergency threats among low income Latino families and to develop and test culturally and linguistically appropriate educational interventions. The project is divided into two phases; phase one focus on gathering and analyzing information from the target population and phase two implementation of a comprehensive plan using the health promoter model as a strategy. For more information please contact Sonia Mora at 240-777-1779 or e-mail at Sonia.Mora@montgomerycountymd.gov
Montgomery County Latino Cancer Survey:
This project is conducted by the Latino Health Initiative (LHI) in collaboration with the University of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, with the support of the LHI’s Data Workgroup. The study seeks to gain a better understanding of the cancer knowledge, attitudes and practices of Latinos residing in Montgomery County, and to pilot a methodology for collecting data among Latino populations. For more information please contact Sonia E. Mora at 240-777-1779 or e-mail at Sonia.Mora@montgomerycountymd.gov
Workgroups
Latino Data Workgroup:
This workgroup brings together stakeholders to collaboratively develop and implement an action plan that will enhance the current system for collecting, analyzing, and reporting health data on Latinos in Montgomery County. For more information please contact Graciela Jaschek at 240-777-3085 or e-mail at Graciela.Jaschek@montgomerycountymd.gov
Ad-Hoc Latino Blueprint Workgroup:
This workgroup seeks to review and update the priority issues and recommendations established in the original Blueprint document through a community participatory process. For more information please contact Graciela Jaschek at 240-777-3085 or e-mail at Graciela.Jaschek@montgomerycountymd.gov
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