Office of Minority Health

Grantee
Puerto Rico Department of Public Health
San Juan, PR 00936-8184

Project: “SaludableY Orgulloso” Community Outreach Campaigns
Amount: $150,000

In September 2000, Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Health created the Office of Minority Health within the Department of Health. The office was established as a vehicle for implementing change and was designed to assess the health care needs of special populations and to act as a focal point for information and policy coordination for communities, consumers, providers and policymakers on issues that have an impact on island residents. Its mission is to assist the secretary of health on issues related to improving the health status of the immigrant population and Puerto Ricans with special health needs, promoting and protecting the health of all island residents by providing access to high-quality preventive and medical services, and contributing to eliminating health disparities.

Project Abstract
The funds from the State Partnership Grant will be used to improve the health status of minority groups and eliminate health disparities by developing partnerships and systems to improve access to health care for all low-income Hispanics in Puerto Rico. This project will mobilize communities and partnerships; increase awareness of cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity/overweight, and diabetes; and improve access to health care services by incorporating the active participation of community primary health providers to guarantee access for further screening and referrals. 
Expected outcomes for this project include:

• Bringing together community-based organizations and state agencies to work collaboratively on reducing health disparities
• Increasing the proportion of individuals who have been educated on healthy lifestyle choices to prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity/overweight
• Increasing the proportion of adults who have been screened for these diseases
• Increasing the number of individuals who can recognize the risk factors and complications for these conditions

These outcomes will be measured by the number of:

• Formal partnerships established with community-based organizations
• Informal collaborations or partnerships with state agencies
• Outreach events
• Individuals reached at events
• Individuals receiving screening for cardiovascular disease
• Individuals receiving screening for diabetes
• Individuals receiving screening for obesity/overweight
• Individual referrals/linkages to support services

This project will conduct a formative process and outcome evaluation to measure effectiveness. 

Objective
Strengthened leadership and coordination to leverage resources and enhance effectiveness and efficiency of individual and collective efforts (including, but not limited to, research and data)

Healthy People 2020 objectives toward which the project’s results contribute

• Health Diseases and Stroke (HDS-5, HDS-1, HDS-2)
• Diabetes (D-9.1, D-9.2, D-1, D-3. D-8)
• Nutrition and Physical Activity (NPA-1, NPA-7, NPA-6, NPA-6.1, NPA-6.2, NPA-2.1, NPA2.2)