PROMOTORAS NETWORK ALLIANCE WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR COMMUNITY-CAMPUS PARTNERSHIPS
The North Texas Salud Para Su Corazon Promotora Network Alliance received an honorable mention award from Community-Campus Partnerships for Health in October.
The Alliance brings together the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, the North Texas Promotora Network, a 30-member network of community-based organizations to improve the heart health behaviors of the Latino community of North Texas.
The Alliance is focused on the unique ability of promotoras, or lay persons, to provide healthcare advice via community outreach. Promotoras are trained volunteers who provide health education to local Latinos in homes, churches, and community centers throughout Fort Worth and Dallas. These lay educators first learn how to teach others within their community the ways to prevent and control heart disease. Their intensive training allows promotoras to demonstrate healthy ways of cooking, life-saving heart-health information to their neighbors, friends and others in the community. The program began in December 2001.
“The model framework for successful promotoria is becoming more and more clear,” said Mary Luna Hollen, project director.
CCPH awards were given at the 8th annual Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Only three organizations were honored by CCPH this year.
CCPH is a nonprofit organization that promotes health through partnerships between communities and educational institutions. The organization was founded in 1996, and has presented its award for three years.
The Promotora Network Alliance also recently opened its new office at 200 Burnett Street, in downtown Fort Worth.
The process of enhanced dissemination of health information via promotoria is available on CD by sending contact information to mhollen@hsc.unt.edu.
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