to view the program - Society for Public Health Education

outpatient visits and hospitalizations. A web-based national database
captures county location and participant demographics, as well
as completer rates for each state. The New Mexico Department of
Health, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services and
their community partners have forged an extraordinary new partnership
to reach Latino and Native American seniors in rural communities
and to leverage shared resources to successfully deliver CDSMP in
the Texas/New Mexico border region as they build statewide systems
to reach older adults.
Using a Regional Approach, New Mexico and Texas Work to
Address Health Disparities along the Border through Evidence-
Based Programs and Policy Systems Change- New Mexico’s Steps to
Building a Comprehensive Coordinated Approach To Healthy Aging
Christopher Lucero, BCH, CHES, Arthritis, Osteoporosis and
Worksite Health Programs, New Mexico Department of Health/
Public Health Division, Chronic Disease Prevention and Control
Bureau
Background: Approximately 25% of the New Mexico’s population
resides in rural frontier areas. In general, rural populations experience
higher rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and depression than do
urban populations. The 2003 direct medical treatment costs for chronic
diseases in New Mexico (NM) were estimated at $1.2 billion (Milken).
An estimated 31.5% of NM’s older adult population is of Hispanic or
Latino heritage and 12.6 % of people age 60 and older in NM have
incomes below the poverty level. Methods: To assist minority older
adults better manage their chronic conditions and to create a statewide
distribution and delivery system for evidence-based programs, the
NM Department of Health/Public Health Division, together with the
NM Aging and Long Term Services Department, created the NM
Healthy Aging Collaborative (NM HAC). The HAC will: 1) create
collaborative capacity and structure; 2) maximize statewide resources
and effectiveness; 3) capitalize on joint funding opportunities; 4)
provide a forum for information sharing and partnership development;
5) establish statewide, needs-based strategic priorities and direction;
and 6) act as a statewide advisory resource. 2-day sustainability training
assisted the HAC build a strategic framework for a coordinated
approach to increasing statewide capacity for evidence-based healthy
aging programs like Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
(CDSMP). Partnerships: Collaboration with Texas began when the
Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services request training
assistance to support their efforts in delivering CDSMP along the
Texas/New Mexico border region. In August, SoAHEC agreed to
have two Master Trainers coordinate and facilitate a Leader training
in the El Paso area for the Rio Grande Council of Governments.
Seventeen people received their certification. Implications for Future
Policy/Practice: Both states have agreed to continue discussing ways to
enhance this new partnership and how to share resources to successfully
deliver CDSMP in the Texas/New Mexico border region and
meet grant requirements. • New Mexico invited Rio Grande’s new
Wellness Program Specialist to attend a retreat for the Promotoras. •
Texas connected its Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)
coordinator with NM to assist in any strengthening that relationship.
• The states are exploring additional ways to partner to expand future
cross-border interaction.
Using a Regional Approach, New Mexico and Texas Work to
Address Health Disparities along the Border through Evidence-
Based Programs and Policy Systems Change- Lessons from the
Field- the Southern Area Heath Education Center’s Promatoras
Reach Older Latinos with Chronic Conditions in Border Towns
Beatriz Favela, MSW, Southern Area Health Education Center
(SoAHEC) NM State University
Background: The Southern Area Health Education Center
(SoAHEC) provides services in five southern New Mexico counties;
four are U.S./Mexico border counties. SoAHEC serves a target population
including an estimated 345,935 area residents age 60 and older;
30% are low-income, 60% are minority; and 20% are limited English
speaking. Theoretical basis and interventions: Bandura’s Theory of
Self Efficacy is utilized to increase the sense of self-efficacy among
Promatoras who are trained to deliver the Stanford Chronic Disease
Self-Management Program (CDSMP) in English and in Spanish.
Promatoras are community health workers living in the communities
they serve. Promatoras are seen as providing accurate, culturally appropriate
health education and to improve access to primary healthcare
services. SoAHEC’s Promatora training model is successful because
the organization is seen as the bridge to the community; it has a history
with health related topics; and its program coordinator has been
a Promatora. The model was developed as a support system to assist
Promotoras with their community work through training on a variety
of topics; providing emotional support, empowerment, education,
guidance, and a friendly environment. SoAHEC values and trusts the
presence that Promotoras have in their community; equips Promotoras
to succeed in the community by providing a variety of tools; and
compensates Promotoras through stipends. Evaluation measures and
results: SoAHEC has delivered the Stanford University Chronic
Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) and the Tomando
Control de su Salud (Spanish CDSMP) in southern NM. Recently,
SoAHEC provided 25 CDSMP community workshops and six Lead
Trainer courses. Fourteen community workshops were facilitated in
Spanish, 10 in English, and one was bilingual-English/Spanish for a
total of 369 community participants; 233 participants completed four of
the six sessions, indicating a 65% completion rate. A total of 35 people
participated in the Lead Trainer courses and 32 received their certification.
The Lead Trainer course evaluation summaries indicated leaders
had a high level of confidence. SoAHEC partnered with Texas to provide
a Leader Trainer training in El Paso for the Rio Grande Council
of Governments. Nineteen people participated in the training and 17
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