Walk for Health and Health Fair

NACHC kick-off webinar for National Health Center Week 2014

Felix Aguilar, MD, MPHCEOUMMA Community ClinicLos Angeles, CA

Nina L. Vaccaro, MPHExecutive Director Southside Coalition of Community Health CentersLos Angeles, CA

Goals

1. Raise awareness of local community health centers during National Health Center Week

2. Engage our local County Supervisor, Mark Ridley Thomas, in recognizing the work of local community health centers as catalysts of community health change

3. Emphasize community participation and physical activity in our communities despite the lack of green spaces and safe places to play and exercise

Organizing the Event—Our Partners• Southside Coalition of

Community Health Centers (health center consortia in South Los Angeles)

• UMMA Community Clinic (FQHC)• St. John’s Well Child and Family

Center (FQHC)• Office of Los Angeles County

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (Health Deputy Team)

• The Empowerment Congress (Health Committee)

Organizing the Event--Logistics• The Event requires about 3 months of planning:– Secure the venue for the health/resource fair– Coordinate with local authorities (law enforcement and

fire departments provide an escort to walkers to close intersections temporarily and assure walkers are safe)

– Engage local YMCA to provide a warm up exercise– Engage local non-profits/health centers to participate

in the health and resource fair– Conduct outreach to local

community members/neighbors, schools, and CBO’s to participate

Organizing the Event—Costs

• Each partner donated staff time and organizational resources to plan and support the costs of the event. This also included outreach efforts among patients and the local neighborhood to include local business owners.

• LA Care Health Plan donated visors and sunglasses for the walkers.• County Supervisor’s office provided tables, chairs, AV along with a table full of fresh fruit for the Health Fair and water for walkers. They also designed and printed outreach flyers.

Walk for Health• Friday, August 16th, 2013 the

2nd Annual Walk for Health and Health Fair took back the streets of South Los Angeles on a two mile journey from St. John’s Well Child and Family Center to UMMA Community Clinic and ending at Mt. Carmel Park.

UMMA

The Walk for Health

Civic Engagement & Social Determinants of Health

• We also partnered with local organizations working within the South Los Angeles Building Healthy Communities initiative (The CA Endowment) to stop at an empty lot to talk about how this lot could be turned into green space such as a community garden.

• Walkers were encouraged to take note of littered side walks/alleys, abandoned buildings, liquor stores, and fast food establishments on the route.

The Health and Resource Fair• Southside Coalition was presented with a

Commendation by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors who adopted a resolution to recognize National Health Center Week.

• 7 Local health centers participated by providing free health screenings & health education (such as BP, BMI & HIV screenings along with information on Obamacare)

• 14 local CBOs provided information about healthy eating, health coverage, and other local resources and initiatives such as housing, family planning & public health.

• Approximately 175 people participated in the day’s events.

What’s next for 2014?• We are in the process for planning our 3rd

Annual Walk for Health• We are moving the event to a Saturday to

increase community participation• We have 3 staff participating in NACHC’s

Grassroots Advocacy Leadership Program who will work to expand the event to do more community organizing and to further integrate awareness of the social determinants of health into the event

• We will extend the time of the health/resource fair to incorporate a health insurance enrollment event

This photo, from the Walk for Health, was selected as a finalist for NACHC’s

2013 National Health Center Week Calendar Contest

QUESTIONS?