A Community Conversation: Engaging Hispanic Men in Health Care

[November 2008 - Creative Community Building] Eastern AHEC and Planned Parenthood sponsored a Community Conversation to explore strategies that would increase Hispanic men’s access to health services. The event was held at “Fiesta 5 de Mayo,” an authentic Mexican restaurant in Willimantic, Connecticut, with community members representing Latin America, and health and social service providers.

Victoria Lowe, Coordinator of the Collegiate Health Service Corps of Eastern AHEC went to a conference on migrants and health in Puebla Mexico. Returning with a stronger sense of the culture, a greater understanding of the health care system in Mexico and a first-hand experience of the impact on migrant families left behind, gave her credibility among the migrant farm workers. During the Community Conversation, migrant farm workers stated that Victoria’s visit opened the Community Conversation, and though they felt there are no immediate answers, mutual ground and a common understanding allows for further community conversations and collective improvements.

Rosie Lazaro, Coordinator, Promotores de Salud Program of Eastern AHEC, invited migrant farmer workers from Prides Corner Farms to participate in the discussion. In preparation for the event, a simulation discussion was held which allowed the community representatives to think about the discussion points and what they wanted their health care providers to know of them and their culture. The simulation exercise also allowed the community representatives to practice using interpretation head sets and talking in a group through simultaneous interpretation.

Also in preparation the community representatives needed approval from their employer and needed to be compensated for their loss of wages to attend the event. It is the belief of Eastern AHEC that organizations need to engage community representatives in meaningful ways, and for this to happen, community members need access to basic resources that give them the confidence and ability to participate in a community discussion.

The Community Conversation was designed to facilitate a partnership and shared understanding of increasing Hispanic’s men’s willingness to access health care, and health care organization’s to provide culturally appropriate health care services. Ignacio Heredia, Outreach Worker of Planned Parenthood of Connecticut facilitated the discussion. The discussion points were as followed.

• Develop a common understanding of the cultural issues that both encourage and discourage Hispanic men from seeking health services, particularly preventative and reproductive care.
• Discuss difference between health care in Latin American Countries and the United States. How do these differences impede access to care in the US? Are there strategies we can use at a local level to bridge the differences?
• What are some of the strategies agencies and organization have utilized to engage Hispanic men in receiving care. What seems to be successful? What seems not to be effective?
• What have we learned over the years that can be helpful to engage new or more recent immigrants into our health and social service systems?

Health care representatives included Planned Parenthood, Perception Programs, the University of Connecticut School of Nursing, and Windham Hospital. Themes emerged during the discussion and three will be presented here: 1. Community Partners expressed a general lack of welcoming and experienced disrespect by health care staff and employees; 2. Cultural and gender issues in Hispanic communities do not encourage health care seeking behavior, whether primary or preventative health care among men; and 3. To improve access to health care by Hispanic men (and Hispanic peoples generally) genuine community conversations need to continue.

Following the community conversation, Eastern AHEC and Planned Parenthood has been continuing their work with migrants within the area and has followed up with community partners regarding topics discussed. Another Community Conversation will be planned for winter 2008.