Development of a Hispanic Health Patient

Navigator Project

The major purpose of the project is to develop a culturally appropriate and effective patient navigation model to assist Hispanic with limited English proficiency to assess and effectively use the health care system and seondly to secure ongoing funding to implement the model.

Parnters:

• Center for Healthy Communities, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin
• CAP Services

Goals of the Program:

• Address a major area of health risks-access to primary and preventive health services
• Focus on a specific ethnic population (Hispanic)
• Emphasize heart disease and stroke as causes of death and disability as well as addressing diabetes and infant mortality
• Strengthen the capacity of providers and the Hispanic community to address community health improvement

Project Period:

• July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008

Current Activities:

• Identify and recruit community stakeholders fro an advisory board that will meet at least quarterly, more often as needed
• Develop and implement as needs assessment tool to seek input from the Hispanic community as well as health care providers and the advisory board
• Undertake an inventory of existing health resources that may serve the Hispanic community, identify not only the resources but also eligibility criteria and the availability of translation/bi-lingual services and the financial resources for patient health care

Future Plans:

• After the needs assessment has identified major health concerns, barriers, and strengths, the partners will complete a review of evidence-based research on patient navigation/community health worker program and practices relating to prevention and health advocacy
• Identify appropriate service delivery models
• Focus groups will be held to seek input from the Hispanic community on their perceptions of the importance of the health areas identified and the proposed service delivery mode.

Funding Source:

• Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program