The Bronx Lesbian and Gay Health Resource Consortium Inc. (BLGHRC), is a non-profit community-based organization, comprised of providers, activists and consumers working to create better access to quality health care for the Bronx LGBT community. In the Spring of 2001, the Consortium launched a free telephone referral service, The Health Link Line, for the community. Trained volunteers support the phone line and refer callers to competent and sensitive Bronx based health care providers. The main challenges to establishing the phone line were recruiting volunteers and ensuring an expansive network of gay-sensitive providers. Community awareness was promoted through a media campaign utilizing buses and site-specific outreach activities. The main challenges to marketing the campaign were designing an appropriate campaign for a culturally diverse target population, the lack of geographically identifiable gay neighborhoods, and a precedent of LGBT residents seeking gay-sensitive services outside of the Bronx. Several evaluation projects were conducted to assess the quality of the Health Link Line. Community members were hired to perform mock calls to the phone line and to schedule mock appointments with providers listed in the consortium's directory. Focus groups were conducted to assess the community's response to the campaign's content and design. Furthermore, specific information on actual caller-phone attendee interactions were documented. The presentation will focus on the challenges and lessons learned from establishing and marketing a health-related telephone referral service to LGBT individuals. Data and findings from the Consortium's evaluation projects will be shared to discuss future strategies for enhancing the Health Link Line.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the challenges of establishing and marketing The Health Link Line, a free telephone referral service that links Bronx LGBT residents with competent and sensitive Bronx-based health care providers, 2. Describe the media-driven marketing strategy, 3. Present findings pre- and post-initiation of media campaign and phone line.
Keywords: Gay, Primary Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Bronx Lesbian and Gay Health Resource Consortium Inc.
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I am a member of the Consortium's Board of Directors. I am not financially compensated in any way by the organization.