Campeones de la Salud: An integrated care program for at-risk children with diabetes

Santa Rosa Community Health Centers (SRCHC) care for more than 41,000 patients annually, 85 percent of whom earn an income less than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.  More than 85 percent of the patients served are Latinos and SRCHC’s staff is almost exclusively bilingual in Spanish. 

This presentation will walk through the characteristics, challenges, and outcomes of SRCHC’s Campeones de la Salud program. This program helps at-risk children with high body mass index (BMI) and their families develop healthy lifestyle habits, with the goal of preventing obesity and Type 2 diabetes. This is accomplished through engaging the entire family in 10 two-hour weekly sessions aimed at behavioral change. Activities include music, exercise, stress reduction, food demonstrations, nutrition counseling, and family counseling and are led by local community staff leaders. 

The program has demonstrated high interest and engagement with its participants, with a 98 percent referral rate from patients to other patients and family members. The program is customized for SRCHC’s patient population and is modeled on evidenced-based programs that have demonstrated family-based weight management strategies.