The Coalition is partnering with the PASOs (Perinatal Awareness for Successful Outcomes) Program of the South Carolina Public Health Institute to help train a group of local Latina leaders who have participated in the program on issues of perinatal health, breastfeeding, access of resources, leadership, and community resource building. After they are trained, these women will represent the PASOs program at the neighborhood level as community-based educators, helping to provide perinatal health information in a linguistically and culturally appropriate way to their neighbors and friends.
The program, “With Love We Learn” is aimed at Hispanic couples with the objective of health education about the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), a major cause of cervical cancer. During the classes, the participants learn about female and male anatomy, how to prevent the transmission of HPV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI), as well as the symptoms, transmission modes, and treatment regimens for a range of STIs. The program emphasizes the importance of having a regularly conducted Pap exam, which can detect cervical cancer early. The content of the classes was prepared by Dr. Lisa Flowers of Emory University, with support from the American Cancer Society and the Spirit Foundation. The Con Amor Aprendemos sessions were facilitated by Yadira Calvo, Promotora de Salud (Health Promoter) in South Carolina. She can be reached at: yarira17622000@yahoo.com.mx. Also, Melly Perez helped to facilitate health education lessons. Melly, a physician with a Master's in Nutrition, has been working on numerous Hispanic health-related programs since January 2010.

This work is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and runs from September 2008 through August 2010. Collaborators include the SCHLHC, the University of South Carolina, and practice-based partners: The Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers, Inc. (ECCHC), The Richland Community Health Care Association (RCHCA), and the Women’s Center of Palmetto Health. These practices are all located in the Columbia SC metropolitan area and were chosen on the basis of their role in providing breast and cervical cancer screening services to uninsured and underinsured populations, particularly Latinas. Supporters of the project include: American Cancer Society (ACS) Best Chance Network, the South Carolina Cancer Alliance (SCCA), and the South Carolina Health Care Association (SCPHCA). The goals of this project are to strengthen the Hispanic health research capacity of local academic-provider networks in the greater Columbia, SC metropolitan area, to enhance existing community-academic research partnerships, and to build the Hispanic health research capacity of primary care providers, staff, and organizations. The project findings will generate practical strategies for developing and maintaining collaborative partnerships between academic researchers, community-based Hispanic organizations, and primary care providers and will strengthen the community-based research infrastructure in South Carolina.
ENLACE is a community-based program that is working with the South Carolina Hispanic Latino Health Coalition to promote physical activity among Mexican immigrant women. The purpose of the project is to work with community partners including women in the community, to develop culturally appropriate and accessible physical activity programs. This is a community-based research project funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the USC College of Nursing and the South Carolina Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition. The Principal Investigator at USC is Dr. DeAnne Messias; Dra. Lidia Navarette is the community liaison through the South Carolina Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition. The program is funded for two years.
The Pandemic Flu Project was a state-wide health education campaign in which culturally tailored, linguistically appropriate materials in Spanish on Pandemic Flu were distributed to health agencies, healthcare providers, and other Hispanic-serving organizations. Pandemic flu health materials included posters and handouts, an educational video, a Public Service Announcement in Spanish, and informational articles published in local Spanish-language newspapers.
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The Outreach Committee will meet at the 730 Devine Street Conference Room at 1:00 p.m. to continue planning the upcoming promotora conference.
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This will take place at the Embassy Suites in Greenville, SC, on Novemeber 19 and 20th. More information about this event will be posted soon.
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A promotora or community health worker conference will be held in Columbia, SC, Friday Jan. 28 and Saturday, Jan.29. More information about the conference will be posted in soon.