Healthy Connections Village Health Worker Project
| Funding Source | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, $199,990; (2004-2006) |
| Goals & Objectives: | To evaluation the effectiveness of community health worker intervention strategy that builds upon existing social networks to encourage African American and Hispanic women to obtain screening for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. |
| Communities Involved: |
African-American and Hispanic women through Detroit |
| Partners: | Detroit Health Department, East Side Parish Nurse NEtwork, Friends of Parkside, Henry Ford Health System, University of MIchigan School of Public Health, Warren/Conner Development Coalition, Community Members at Large and the Village Health workers. |
| Intervention: | 10 community members will be trained as Healthy Connections Advocates (HCAs). HCAs will organize and recruit African American and Latino women to participate in "House Parties" that will include dissemination of info re: prevention and screenings for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. HCAs will also disseminate prevention info and encourage women to be screened through their information social networks. |
| Outcome Indicators: | Number of women that receive screenings for diabetes and cardiovascular disease through House Parties or as a result of dissemination of info through informal networks; participation in health promoting activities following House Party participation. |
| Methods & Analyses: | Community-based participatory evaluation approach, including process and outcome evaluation. Methods include: participant observation; focus groups; HCA post-training exam; annual process questionnaires; tracking system to identify number of women who participate in House Parties, screenings, and health promoting activities. |
| Results: | Harvey, I.S., Schulz, A.J., Israel, B.A., Sand, S.L., Myrie, D., Lockett, M.P., et al. "The Healthy Connections Project: A community-based participatory research project involoving women at risk for diabetes and hypertension." Progress in Community Health Partnerships 3(4): 273-274. (2009)
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