For Latinx people in the U.S., cancer prevention and care often require navigating a healthcare system that doesn't speak your language — or understand your culture and needs. That's one reason that Latinx cancer patients often experience late detection and inequitable access to care, as well as social and economic obstacles during treatment and survivorship.
Community Benefit Grant partner, Latinas Contra Cancer, works to decrease these cancer-related health disparities in Santa Clara County. The approach includes community outreach, education, screening and navigation services provided by bilingual, bi-cultural patient coordinators and navigators. Their current grant is expanding these services to help reach people where they are — clinics, hospitals, schools, nonprofits and churches.
Services are provided by health educators and patient navigators assisted by promotores — Latinx community health workers who have cultural and linguistic proficiency in serving the Latinx population. The promotora model is evidence-based and has been shown to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Some examples of services the program provides include:
- Health education Bingo game and outreach events
- Health screenings
- Follow-up phone calls
- Patient navigation service sessions
- Attending health and medical appointments with the patient (if allowed)
- Referrals to agency and other safety-net services
Through this program, Latinas Contra Cancer is helping to reduce the burden of cancer and improve healthcare access and delivery for this vulnerable population. Care for chronic conditions (other than diabetes and obesity) and improving healthcare access and delivery are identified as important health needs in our 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.
See the complete list of grantees.
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