Training Beyond Skills

For more than 30 years, the Community Health Workers/Promotores (CHWs/Ps) of the El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center (El Sol) have represented the hope to achieve equitable access to health and healthcare for all. As CHWs/Ps of El Sol and other related organizations unpack the implications of incorporating CHW/P as part of the Medical benefit, it […]

El Sol’s Coordinated, Multi-Sector Efforts Proven to Combat COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated inconceivable human and economic loss on an unimaginable scale. In the Inland Empire alone, at least 14,375 residents have died due to the virus, according to the California Department of Public Health. 1 These are not numbers. These are people. Consider John Carillo, a Grand Terrace resident. In 2020, at the […]

Career Pathways Part II: Developing Skills, Workforce & Sustainable Salaries

All sectors have different required skill sets. The broad categories are hard and soft skills. In healthcare, the difference between hard and soft skills is distinct. Emphasis has focused on developing (clinical) skills, but the skills (communication, collaboration, compassion, critical thinking, time management, ethical behavior, strong work ethic) are the skills most observable by participants […]

The Importance of Dedicated, Sustainable Community Health Worker Pathways

There has been an increased need for Community Health Workers since the implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act and the COVID-19 pandemic. For decades, community health workers and promotores (CHW/Ps) have effectively provided culturally comfortable, person-centered services that bridge different systems and improve health and well-being. CHW/Ps perform many unique roles, including prevention services, […]

Integrating Community Health Workers into the Healthcare System While Preserving a Transformative Community Health Worker

Community health workers (CHWs), also known as Promotoras de Salud in Latinx communities, are trusted, knowledgeable paraprofessionals who help their communities achieve health and well-being. Since 1960, 1 they’ve worked in neighborhoods and communities to address a myriad of health and social needs. They use their understanding of cultural norms to provide relevant health information […]

Educating CHW’s as Change Agents Through El Sol’s Holistic Transformative Training Center

El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center has more than 15 years of experience in developing CHW/P and promotores (CHW/p) training curricula, including co-founding and co-developing the Loma Linda Promotores Academy and launching the El Sol Community Health Workers and Promotores Training Center. With module topics that span the Spectrum of Prevention, clinical integration, emotional growth, health intervention evaluation […]

COVID-19: Together We Can – Juntos Sí Se Puede

The CDC defines COVID-19 vaccine equity 1 as fair and just access to COVID-19 vaccination for all people. There are a myriad of social, geographic, political, economic, and environmental factors that create challenges to vaccination access and acceptance, and that often affect racial and ethnic minority groups disproportionately. These may include: Education, income, and wealth […]

The Inland Intercultural Health Equity Coalition: Elevating the Voice of Communities of Color

Integrating different cultures, origins and experiences leads to rich perspectives, ideas, and innovation. In this spirit, FIVE organizations came together in 2021, disenchanted with failing traditional power structures and wanting to create an inclusive collaborative that focused on harnessing the strengths of different cultures and building inclusive community power. As one member states, “We are […]

Examples of Community Health Promotion Programs

CHWs are frontline public health workers who have a deep understanding and/or are trusted members of the communities they serve. CHWs create a link between health/social services and the community to improve service access and quality. Research suggests CHWs are likely to reduce health disparities due to their unique ability to serve as change agents […]

What is Community Resilience and Why It Matters

Community resilience refers to a community’s ability to withstand, recover or respond to an adverse situation using individual and community resources. There are many resilience frameworks and approaches for building community resilience. There is no one solution that fits every community, situation or context. El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center values working side-by-side with our community, […]