Community Organizing for HP2020

Community Organizing

Clips:

Citizen Film (2010). Maquilapolis - Promotoras. Retrieved Dec 1, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVWsBVoSGdo [VIDEO

Community Advocacy Program (2009). Beyond Medicine: Removing Legal Barriers to Health. Retrieved Dec 1, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egrm6csKERg&NR=1 [VIDEO]

The basic theme of both programs is a micro view of health care and the ability to see how the environment that surrounds the poor can contribute to healthcare issues. The poor not only cannot afford insurance or it is denied them, the circumstances surrounding the environmental issues the poor are subject to are primary in terms of disease prevention. While this population group needs to take responsibility for healthcare, there should be no reason in the 21st century why factory work is unsafe, the environment toxic, and there be no access to care as needed. Instead, the Promotera model allows work to be done at the grassroots level, where we have seen through the Civil Rights movement it can be most effective.

Part 2 -- Health Issues -- The Promotora model addresses the health issues of hard to serve populations, in particular -- the disenfranchised, excluded racial and ethnic groups, and other medically underserved populations. In essence, the Promotora model serves as a cultural bridge between communities-based organizations, health care agencies, and the community at large. The model comes from serving Latino populations, but can be extrapolated into other ethnic groups quite easily. Essentially, it is an effort to improve health behaviors, chronic disease management and health outcomes by promoting health care with insurance when possible, preventive care, and a source of care and self-efficacy and responsibility.

Part 3 -- Promotora Model -- The model is effective under certain circumstances: a group of dedicated people who will see through many governmental issues and advocate through the maze of bureaucracy; and a geographic and cultural area that is open to moving through a different paradigm in which the divergent group also must take some responsibility for health care responsibility and be open to lifestyle changes and preventative care. For instance, all the health care in the nation cannot change issues of obesity, type-II diabetes and coronary issues if the population will not take responsibility for diet, exercise, and change of habits. In a similar manner, all the dental care possible requires a population that will brush and floss and have regular checkups. So, the efficacy of the Promotora model is a dual responsibility -- the responsible parties that initiate the care model and the population that accepts the responsibility for the care. In some ways, this is very similar to many nursing and healthcare models that put patient care and advocacy at the forefront; the emotional and system of care comes first, the clinical second, and the results become amazing.

Part 4 -- Community Organizing -- At the very center of community organizing, is a plan to systematize an event; in this case, health and wellness. To organize the community around a process, several things need to happen: educational intervention, training, preventative care, and healthcare access. The power of the Promotera model is that there can be many dealing with specific problems of a specific community: substance abuse among the young, teen pregnancy/STDs, obesity, gynecological issues, smoking, etc. Thus, the characteristics of the successful Promotera model focus on public health at its most basic: awareness, education, and the ability to provide care where it is needed.