Community Health Workers Gain Knowledge, Tools and Support

Also known as community health workers, more than 600 promotoras gathered in Burbank recently to exchange ideas and hear health experts at the seventh annual Visión y Compromiso conference, co-sponsored by First 5 LA. The conference featured nearly 30 workshops, two plenary sessions and a multitude of vendor booths offering health-related information.

Although community health workers have existed worldwide for centuries, their place along the American health care continuum materialized 30 years ago. Serving as a bridge between communities and public health agencies, the predominantly female network of promotoras in California provides health education and prevention information to individuals and families in a linguistically and culturally relevant manner.

"Promotoras are extraordinary social change agents," said First 5 LA's Conrado Bárzaga, a senior program officer who spoke at a conference plenary session on early childhood development. "They've been able to improve the quality of food that's served in schools. They have also identified opportunities for communities to improve safety and to work with available space to promote physical activity."

María Lemus, founder and executive director of Visión y Compromiso, explained that the purpose of the annual conference is to bring together promotoras from across the state for skill-building and networking. "Promotoras are at ground zero," Lemus said, referring to the grass-roots nature of promotoras' work. "We have found that the number one priority for Latinos is survival-life issues come first."

Visión y Compromiso prepares promotoras for their role as cultural brokers. Through training the promotoras learn how to communicate with elected officials and local institutions to enable change. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted an association between promotoras and improvements in access to health and prenatal care, birth outcomes, health screenings and lower health care costs. On display at this year's conference was a copy of Assembly Resolution ACR75, which declares October as Promotores month in California.

"We have a gift for serving our communities, and we operate much like social workers in our home countries," said Los Angeles-based Vicky Medina, a conference attendee who has been a promotora for seven years. "We expand our knowledge [at the conference], and then we take it back to the community."

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