A letter from the Executive Director Last year as I locked up our offices on March 13, 2020, I never imagined we would still be in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic one year later.  As I reflect back on the last year my mind immediately goes to the many losses we experienced.  The devastating loss of life, more than 555,000 people in the United States, many from communities of color.  These are real people, family members, mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, sons, daughters, friends, and children.  The immense grief and trauma have been relentless for more than a year, often with no hope in site as we moved one season after another.  We have experienced other losses this last year, extraordinary challenges to our daily lives and well-being.  Our daily lives have been completely turned upside down affecting mental health from constant isolation, loss of income, the stresses of homeschooling, lack of parental support, and the effects of racism, violence, and hate.   It is easy to slip into a dark place when really thinking about the last year. (more…)

How Culture affects Latino families/Vulnerable Populations Hispanic Americans include a diverse group of cultures, each with their traditions and dietary lifestyles, making them more prone to Diabetes. Diabetes is most prevalent among the Latino/Hispanic communities due to poor general health. Poor general health can be associated with the individual's cultural values, level of education, social support systems, and sedentary behaviors. “Over their lifetime, U.S. adults have a 40 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states. “But if you’re a Hispanic/Latino American adult, your chance is more than 50 percent, and you’re likely to develop it at a younger age.” (1) (more…)

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has been historic. It was created in record time with international public and private cooperation. With the recent approval of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, there are currently three vaccines authorized to be distributed and administered in the United States. Vaccine data, information, and guidelines are being updated daily, and on March 2nd President Biden vowed that there will be enough supply for all adult Americans to receive the vaccine by the end of May. However, even if we meet this ambitious goal, there will still be thousands of people who die and many more infected with this disease before widespread vaccination is achieved. This is why thoughtful vaccine distribution now is vital to saving as many lives as possible, especially with an end in sight, and why agricultural workers need to be at the top of the list as an immediate priority. (more…)

I am saddened and deeply troubled by the events in our Nation’s Capitol on Wednesday.  Health Outreach Partners condemns these acts of violence and insurrection led by white nationalist groups and other extremists. They acted with total disregard for the law and the will of the people of the United States to use their voice for a free and fair election. They must be held accountable, arrested, and tried by the very systems they blatantly undermined. (more…)

One of the most important strategies for diabetes management and improvement is through maintaining a healthy diet. Combined with physical activity, this can be the pathway to controlling this disease and improving health outcomes.[1] Good nutrition is not only important for individuals currently diagnosed with diabetes, but it can be vital for preventing the disease, especially for those who may be predisposed to it, such as family members.[2] Nevertheless, making changes to one’s diet is often easier said than done and can be intensified when there are children and a family to support. Factors that can make these lifestyle changes difficult include the affordability of nutritious foods versus cheaper unhealthy foods, the challenge of changing deep seeded habits and beliefs around food,[3] and merely being able to access healthy foods, especially for those living in remote areas or low-income urban neighborhoods.[4] (more…)

As type II diabetes continues to rise, especially among our Latino population, it is important to educate our communities on the preventative measures and risk factors for this disease.^[1] While most of these interventions focus on individual behavior change, more recent research suggests that a family-centered approach to chronic disease prevention provides promising results.^[2] In this blog, we will discuss the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and how Community Health Workers play a key role in implementing family-centered diabetes interventions. (more…)

There is no doubt that 2020 has been a turbulent year filled with challenges and uncertainty. I did not predict on March 13th, when I packed up my office, that six months later I would still be working remotely in the midst of a pandemic – a crisis that has taken the lives of over 200,000 people in the United States. During this Covid-19 crisis, we witnessed the murder of George Floyd and the inadequate action bringing Breonna Taylor’s murderers to justice. Now we have lost one of the most ardent supporters of democracy in US history, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Every day it seems there is another challenge thrown our way, knocking us off our feet. No wonder we feel powerless, anxious, and uncertain. So many American voices go unheard. How do we unite to bring about change and lead the way out of this crisis? We can and must vote! Voting is exercising our power to preserve our democracy and make our voices heard. (more…)

Health Outreach Partners recently created a new Program Director position, and we are excited to announce the hiring of Gabriela (Gabby) Castillo. At the same time, one of our beloved colleagues, Kristina Wharton, has left the organization. Read below to learn more about Gabby, and to find a dedication to Kristina. Despite having started at the beginning of July while we are all working from home, Gabby has already gotten to work diving into HOP's activities and getting to know her colleagues. (more…)

As Health Outreach Partners starts fiscal year 2020-2021, we would like to welcome several new Board members and say farewell to a fixture on HOP's board for the last several years. First and foremost, we want to extend our eternal gratitude and thanks to retiring board member Jana Eubank.  Jana has served HOP since 2012.  She provided leadership and support to our organization during a time of transition through her strong, steady, yet kind leadership.  She has demonstrated dedication to our mission for over 8 years, through her commitment to community health centers and access to care for vulnerable communities. (more…)

Say their names. George Floyd! Breonna Taylor! Ahmaud Arbury! Tony McDade! The team at Health Outreach Partners are saddened and horrified by yet another senseless murder of an African American person in our nation. We send our heartfelt condolences to the friends and families of these and all victims of a failed justice system. We stand in solidarity with African-American communities across the country who continue to live in fear from violence at the hands of those paid to serve and protect their communities. (more…)

Traditionally, each year in mid-May the health care community celebrate nurses during National Nurse Appreciation Week. Coincidentally, the World Health Organization and the National Association of Community Health Centers designated 2020 as the year of the nurse. At no time in history do nurses deserve this recognition more for their hard work and dedication to the health of their communities. They are heroes and leaders on the front lines fighting a global pandemic that no one anticipated at the start of year. Now more than ever, we need to thank the nurses in our lives for all they do as the backbone of health care, working long hours caring for Covid-19 patients as well as other patients with equally challenging health issues during a time of great uncertainty. (more…)

Beleny joined Health Outreach Partners in February 2020 as a Project Manager. Prior to coming to HOP, Beleny worked for over two years in rural community health in indigenous communities of Peru as the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation for several health promotion and education programs. Her global health experience combines research, policy analysis, consulting, and program planning, implementation, and management, primarily in low-resource settings in Latin America and the Caribbean. Before beginning her career in public health, Beleny served two terms in AmeriCorps, coordinating after-school education programs in Napa and Sonoma Counties. An Air Force brat and self-proclaimed semi-nomad, Beleny calls the Bay Area home. She holds an MPH from Boston University and a BS in Biology from Virginia Tech. In her free time, Beleny likes exploring local culture, seeing live music shows, hiking, and helping her adopted Peruvian dog adjust to life in the United States.

Dear friends- It only takes an instant for life to change.  Just three short months ago, I wrote looking to 2020 and the future with hope and opportunity. Today like so many, Health Outreach Partners is grappling with anxiety and uncertainty brought on by Covid-19.  I feel very grateful and privileged that the HOP team is able to work remote and continue our work to support community health centers during this difficult time.    With all the challenges brought on by this global pandemic, income loss and financial insecurity are a top stressor that impacts a person’s health and magnifies the inequities in our health systems. (more…)

2020 National Learning Series on Diabetes ​​​​​​​

• DATE: Tuesday, March 24, 2020
• TIME: 11:00am-12:30pm PT; 2:00-3:30pm ET.
• LINK: Register Here

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Telehealth and COVID 19

The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) is working on a “Telehealth and COVID-19” Toolkit. Roll out of toolkit is planned via a walkthrough webinar:

• DATE: Thursday, March 19, 2020
• TIME: 11:00am-12:00pm PT; 2:00-3:00pm ET.
• LINK: Register Here