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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Amy C. Paulson, BS, Consortium for Infant and Child Health, Center for Pediatric Research, 855 West Brambleton Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23510, 757-668-6458, PaulsoAC@chkd.com and Frances D. Butterfoss, PhD, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, Center for Pediatric Research, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 855 W. Brambleton Ave, Norfolk, VA 23510.
Background: The Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH) is recognized in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia as the leading community child health coalition. Community partners worked together through CINCH to develop, implement, and fund a community lay health ambassador project. The program goal was to improve the health of children living in public housing. Program objectives included increasing the number of children with up-to-date with their immunizations, health insurance, and a “medical home”. Community partners worked together to overcome the challenges of using community residents as paid lay health ambassadors. Funding barriers were resolved by an innovative approach by community partners. The program has now expanded to include perinatal health and asthma, and several additional communities.
Methods: A community needs assessment was done to identify public housing community in Norfolk, Virginia with high numbers of children ages 0-6 living in the community. A program curriculum was developed train the residents to serve as lay health ambassadors, and provide health education to the community.
Results: An initial survey of residents participating in the program (N=48), 42% stated the program helped them to get their children’s shots up-to-date, 27% stated the program helped them obtain health insurance for their children, and 29% stated that the program helped them to find a “medical home” for their children. Final results from are pending.
Conclusions: Lay health ambassador programs developed with community input are successful in improving the health behaviors of families living in public housing.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Lay Health Workers, Community-Based Partnership
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.