195303 Evaluation of the Project ALTO and Pacoima diabetes collaborative: A community collaborative 3-year partnership program

Monday, November 9, 2009

Kathleen Young, PhD, MPH(c) , Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA
Joni Novosel, MA , Valley Care Community Consortium, Van Nuys, CA
Audrey Simons, RDH, MSHA , Mission Community Hospital, San Fernando, CA
In 2005 Project ALTO-(PA) a project of Mission Community Hospital was funded to educate and screen low-income, uninsured Latinos at high risk for diabetes, referring those with no other access to care to MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity), and a local free-clinic. Also in 2005 Valley Care-Community-Consortium's (a 501-c-3 non-profit) Chronic Disease Committee was working on a grant proposal to address the growing epidemic of diabetes and obesity in the Latino population. Throughout 2005, the newly formed VCCC Pacoima Diabetes Collaborative and PA worked to create a program that would enhance PA. In 2006 The California Endowment funded the collaborative culturally sensitive project, which includes community health forums, walking groups, education sessions, group model clinics, web-based resource directory and needs assessment.

PA is staffed with bilingual community health-workers that provide glucose screenings at local community events. The PDC is staffed with a bilingual community-coordinator that conducts free walking groups and physical activity sessions at local school parent centers, churches, and parks within walking distance of residents' homes. A bilingual physician works with PDC to establish a group model approach to increasing access to care in local clinics that provides greater health literacy; allowing for more time with a physician and various health professionals to address the cultural issues facing Latinos residing in Southern-California.

The external evaluators of this project will present their findings through the three formal evaluation measures utilized in this project. Program results and future implications will also be presented and discussed.

Learning Objectives:
Identify collaborative building strategies that coordinate services related to prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes among adults in Pacoima and Northeast San Fernando Valley area. Identify and discuss the importance of web-based resource directory development with information on diabetes/obesity-related services. Discuss a diabetes/obesity needs assessment and asset mapping instrument used for Pacoima and the San Fernando Valley (SPA-2). 4.1 Identify diabetes screening techniques and enrollment strategies such as coordinated outreach/enrollment activities with other LA-based enrollment entities. 4.2 Discuss the procedures for formal partnerships developments and/or MOUs with Pacoima and Northeast San Fernando Valley area clinics that can serve as medical homes to these individuals. 4.3 Develop strategies in order to link screened individuals in need of diabetes care and health benefits to medical homes. 5.1 Discuss a pilot "group visit model" at a clinic serving adults with diabetes. 5.2 Identify monitoring devices for the "group visit model" participants for provision of clinical diabetes tests including eye foot exams, cholesterol level, blood pressure level, and HbA1C levels. Identify and discuss established coordinated linkages with specialty, emergency, and hospital care for intended populations with Project ALTO and Neighborhood Legal Services, and the Diabetes Collaborative Steering Committee. 7.1 Develop strategies to increase levels of physical activity among diabetic adults and community residents by establishing three bilingual walking groups. 7.2 Develop ways to increase access to healthy and affordable food choices by establishing a community farmers market including nutrition information education. Discuss the results and future implications of the Project ALTO and Pacoima Diabetes Collaborative. Identify steps in order to develop effective structural change community-based partnerships. Identify evaluation tools used in this 3-year project.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the evaluator of this project
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.