225426 Community Health Workers: Mobilizing and Organizing the Filipino Community as Agents of Social Change

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 8:50 AM - 9:10 AM

Romerico Foz, BS , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
David E. Aguilar, MA , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Leonida Gamboa, BS , Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Woodside, NY
Yves Nibungco , Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Jersey City, NJ
Henry Soliveres, BA , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Potri Ranka Manis, RN , Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Woodside, NY
Rhodora Ursua, MPH , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Background: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are widely used to provide care for a broad range of health issues. However, in the course of delivery, they are not limited to addressing just health but that which affects the rights and welfare of their community both in the U.S. and in their home country. As inherent community organizers and builders, CHWs also operate within the context of community change, mobilizing communities to combat injustices caused by socioeconomic or socio-political factors to create systemic changes. Methods: Project AsPIRE, an NIH-sponsored community-university partnership, provides culturally- and linguistically-appropriate CHW interventions to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve health access for Filipino Americans. Through community organizing and mobilization, the CHWs developed and leveraged their relationships with multiple sectors to build social cohesion and raise critical consciousness about not only heart health, but immigration issues, healthcare reform, and other issues impacting Filipinos in the U.S. and the Philippines. Results and Discussion: Project AsPIRE CHWs will develop and conduct a presentation about: 1) Strategies in mobilizing multiple sectors (i.e. community and faith-based organizations, businesses, health providers, students) to respond to identified community issues, concerns, and needs; 2) Advocacy strategies applied to the individual and systems level, locally, nationally and globally; and 3) Case studies demonstrating the interconnection between the CHWs' role as health care providers and agents of change combating social injustices. Examples include mobilizing community members to advocate for healthcare reform; respond to a natural disaster, and advocate for the rights of domestic workers.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Other professions or practice related to public health
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe challenges in utilizing community organizing and mobilization as a tool for creating social change. Discuss collaborative empowerment strategies to improve health access and social conditions of Filipino immigrants. Describe best practices in utilizing community organizing and mobilization as a tool.

Keywords: Access to Care, Social Justice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have served for the past 6 years as the Community Health Nurse on the community health worker project to be discussed in this presentation. As a co-founder of Kalusugan Coalition, Inc. and with my years of community organizing experience involving serving as a community health worker and later training other CHWs qualifies me to present on this topic.
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.