The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69034

Craig H. Blakely, PhD, MPH¹, James N Burdine, Dr PH², Alicia Dorsey, PhD³, Michael R.J. Felix⁴, Isidore Flores, PhD², Kenneth R. McLeroy, PhD³, Ann Millard, PhD³, Katherine I. Miller, PhD⁵, Monica L. Wendel, MA, MPH², and Miguel A. Zuniga, MD, DrPH¹. (1) Health Policy and Management, Texas A&M University School of Rural Public Health, 3000 Briarcrest Drive, Suite 300, Bryan, TX 77802, 979-845-2387, blakely@srph.tamushsc.edu, (2) Community Health Development Program, School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M University, 1103 University Drive, Suite 100, College Station, TX 77840, (3) Department of Social & Behavioral Health, School of Rural Public Health, 3000 Briarcrest Drive, Suite 310, College Station, TX 77802, (4) Community Health Development Specialists, 3027 Walburt Ave, Allentown, PA 18104, (5) Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, MS 4234, College Station, TX 77842-4234

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in a joint effort with the Health Resources Services Administration, has funded a major demonstration project in the Rio-Grande Valley. The project targets residents of colonias through training and supporting promotoras, lay health workers, in Hidalgo County, Texas. The major goals of the intervention project are to improve the capacity of the lay health workers to impact the health behaviors of the residents and to integrate their activities with the actions of the health providers in the area to change access and utilization rates. Separately funded from the intervention project, is a rigorous evaluation of intervention process and activities in order to determine the impact of RWJF/HRSA demonstration project. A series of pre- and post-demonstration household surveys and analysis of administrative data from health services facilities in the Colonias areas will be used to assess project impact. In particular, the evaluation will monitor communication patterns between promotoras and residents as well as promotoras and providers at various levels in the health delivery systems used by residents. Further, attention will be directed to the impact of this intervention on the political and functional interactions among the relevant health providers themselves. Finally, the project team will look toward data relevant to potential dissemination opportunities in other areas along the U.S. Mexico border. Preliminary results from the seven different evaluation components will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
• Explain the purpose of the evaluation;
• List the seven evaluation components;
• Describe preliminary results from each of the evaluation components

Keywords: Access to Care, Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.