KP: Bring Health Care to the Community

The following was submitted for publication on behalf of Kaiser Permanente:

On a warm, sunny Sunday in July, more than a dozen physicians and 50 volunteers from Kaiser Permanente gathered on the grounds of San Jose’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Church for a day-long, free health fair. Our Lady of Guadalupe is considered an anchor church for San Jose’s Spanish-speaking community, and it was civil rights activist Cesar Chavez’s home church.

“The Kaiser Permanente program is called ‘Cuidando a su Familia, Cuidándose Usted’ which translates to Caring for Your Family, Caring for Yourself,” said Cal Gordon, MD, a pediatrician and Assistant Physician in Chief at KP San Jose.

Dr. Gordon was one of the many bilingual physicians and employees at the health fair who made contact with some 700 people as they were coming and going to Sunday mass.

The Permanente Medical Group has been working with several largely Hispanic churches around the Bay Area this year in a major outreach to the Spanish-speaking community. The event at Our Lady of Guadalupe is believed to be the largest. More than 500 parishioners had their blood pressure or glucose levels tested.

“Even the priest came out and had his blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), glucose, and percent body fat tested,” said Dr. Gordon.

A Community with Great Needs

Studies show that diabetes and high blood pressure are endemic in the Hispanic community. To that end, Eileen Kim, MD, Internal Medicine, KP Oakland, and Charito Sico, MD, Pediatrics, KP South San Francisco, helped send out 1200 letters to Spanish-speaking KP members with poorly controlled diabetes, urging them to attend the health fair. Doctors Kim and Sico also attended the event.

“This is a community with great needs and often economic challenges,” said Dr. Gordon, “The fair is one way we can bring care to them rather than waiting for them to come to us.”

Kaiser Permanente’s Mobile Health Vehicle, a three-room medical office on wheels, was at the church, staffed by bilingual physicians. Another group of bilingual physicians ran the “Aska Doctor” booth, answering general health questions from parishioners.

KP bilingual health educators and physicians taught classes on Raising Healthy Children, Keeping You and Your Family Healthy, and Preventing and Managing Diabetes throughout the day. KP’s Educational Theater group ran an obstacle course and other physical activities for children.

“The whole idea is to get the kids moving and enjoying it,” said Regina Dwerlkotte, PhD, Director, Educational Theater. “Exercise is part of the healthy living mission of Educational Theater.”

Committing to a Healthier Lifestyle

Through the health fair, more than 250 Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioners committed to engage in healthier lifestyles, such aseating better, exercising more, reducing stress and “screen time.”

Church leaders said they were extremely pleased with the turnout of parishioners and the valuable services offered by KP. And they were especially pleased that it was all in Spanish.

Dr. Sico, said the church was a great place to hold a health event.

“The church is where our Latino members and the community gather to worship everySunday and is an ideal location for them to hear the message of good health and prevention from Kaiser Permanente’s Spanish speaking physicians and staff.”

(Image via Shutterstock)