Four health care Navigators have been helping uninsured patients with access to health care at Clínica Esperanza since January, 2010.  The “Navegantes” help the patients with their referrals for specialty care and also connect patients to a wide range of social programs that are available in the Providence community. The goal of the Navegantes program is to advocate for the patients, to help them learn more about their health problems and improve their adherence to their medications, and to improve their ability to engage in a healthier lifestyle.

Specifically, the four Navegantes currently working at CEHC

(1) Improve access to care for RI Hispanics/Latinos through Health Care education and screening outreach sessions conducted at local churches and in the new Clinica Esperanza location at 60 Valley Street, Olneyville.

(2) Became expert Health Navigators who provide linkages to health care for members of their own communities

(3) Improved their own health knowledge through education sessions and transmit this information to CEHC patients in one-on-one sessions and in group programs.

The Navegantes work at several ongoing outreach clinics, occasional health fairs/health triage events at parish churches in Olneyville and also serves as guests on radio programs to promote flu vaccination and health care screening.  Through the Navegantes, CEHC partners with The United Methodist Church, the Multi Service Center (at the former Perry Middle School) and Mision Evangelica (Pastor Israel Mercedes).

Basic screening and prevention services are provided at the outreach locations and on site at the CEHC medical clinic (including resources such as blood pressure screening, blood sugar tests, and condoms, information on HIV prevention, nutritional counseling, and medication adherence counseling) once per month.

At health care screens, participating individuals are able to receive a brief one-on-one discussion with a  health care volunteer. These volunteer health care professionals review the health care needs of the individual partiicipants and determine their need for referrals to resources for primary health care (e.g. blood pressure control or weight management).  A recommendation to seek follow up at CEHC is made if the patient has a chronic condition and no health insurance.

Once the patients are members of the clinic, those individuals with health maintenance and advocacy-related access issues are assigned to a Navegante from their community (see below).

The Vida Sana program has trained and deployed seven Navegantes health access coordinators. These residents of Providence communities underwent intensive training sessions (over four weeks) to become competent referral sources, organizers and community educators. Several have moved out of state or are now in new positions but four remain with the program and will soon complete one full year of service. Current Navegantes include Luz Betancor, Ingrid Castillo, Jennifer Jiminez, and Rosa Roman.

The Vida Sana Project is led by an Access Coordinator Vinnie Velasquez, who has extensive experience with outreach program. Vinnie is pursuing a masters in education and who is bilingual and bicultural. She is responsible for leadership and coordination of the Vida Sana program, the development of the Navegante/Navigator training program, and the supervision for the Navegantes.

Under guidance from Vinnie, the Navegantes/Navigators plan, organize and implement church-based community health fairs and advocate for members of their community. Navegantes/Navigators meet with community members and help them “navigate” the health care system to obtain preventative services, chronic disease management, support for medication adherence, health care access, and other essential health information.

In addition, the Vida Sana Navegantes organize free health education sessions on nutrition, diabetes, high blood pressure, sexually transmitted diseases, smoking cessation, and vaccinations. These sessions provide information in English and Spanish and are available as one-on-one sessions in the evenings at the clinic. to accommodate working members of the community.

More recently, the Navegantes have been engaged in dance/exercise classes for women that take place at the clinic on Wednesday afternoons. These sessions feature an eclectic mix of dance and are accompanied by informational sessions on health care topics such as “healthy heart” and nutritional sessions.

Meet the Navegantes>