Community Strategies Addressing Social Determinants of Health
El Sol is the ideal partner for foundations, public agencies, or other community-based organizations interested in implementing community-driven strategies to address social determinants of health using community health workers and promotores. The following are examples of community-wide strategies:
Addressing Social Determinants of Health:
El Sol in partnership with the San Antonio Hospital, Healthy Ontario and The Social Impact Artists, embedded CHWs and promotores in the Ontario Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center, and provided services to 142 Ontario residents who were underinsured. The majority also lacked a medical home. Their gender reported was female 104 (73%) and Male 39 (27%), and the average age was 43 years.
Outcomes:
- 56% improved their glucose
- 44% improved their Blood Pressure
- 38% improved their Total Cholesterol
- 56% lost weight (<1 pound)
- 38% of returning participants were prediabetic upon entrance into the program
Creating Community Partnerships in Education:
El Sol in partnership with Loma Linda University Institute for Community Partnership and San Bernardino City Unified School District deployed CHWs and promotores to intervene with most in risk families of children’s facing barriers to meet attendance requirements. The CHWs and promotores increased engagement with Families, assisted in increasing vaccination compliance for school readiness and developed action plans to 258 students to improve school attendance.
Outcomes:
- 5% of reduction in Absenteeism overall from families categorized as Chronically ABSENT
- 28% of Increase in Tdap of students lacking Tdap
- 1396 phone calls and 308 home visits to provide families with information of Tdap clinics at school Sites
Community Based Partnerships in Economic Development:
El Sol in partnership with the Inland Empire Economic Partnership developed the Launch Initiative using CHWs and promotores with the primary goal of increasing employment and vocational opportunities of low-income families throughout the Inland Empire serving 157 participants and 67.4 % were females’ singles parents.
Outcomes:
- 3 % reduction of unemployment rates
- 7 % increase of salary among participants
- 7 % increase of Health Benefits
- 8 % reported job satisfaction
Addressing Social Determinants with Access to Safe Parks:
El Sol Holistic Learning Center Park:
El Sol worked for 8 years to obtain a piece of land in the most in need areas of the City of San Bernardino with the idea to create a safe and healthy driven park. In 2014 the holistic advisory board and residents assisted in the design and elements of the park and community center; the city of San Bernardino approved our first concept plans: Please be part of this by attending to our monthly residents’ meetings to provide ideas and support this initiative and donating to this cause.
For more information about this project, contact Isaac Mendez at isaacmendez@elsolnec.org or (909) 884-3735.