Community Spotlight is on:

Hunter Health Diabetic Care Center

Mission:

The Hunter Health Clinic, Inc. is a non-profit corporation based in Kansas that is dedicated to serving its local community through health education programs as well as by providing door to door health care services to those in need. The clinic offers classes on issues such as diabetes and nutrition. In addition, the center provides programs for young girls and their parents where participants can talk about issues such as drugs, tobacco, nutrition, and relationships in peer groups at their schools.

What They Do:

The Community Health Center was formed in 1985 for the purpose of serving Native Americans, but has opened the doors to all individuals. Recently, many services are focused on the local Hispanic community. The staff at the Hunter Health Clinic understands the interplay between culture and health, and patients are served with dignity, respect and cultural sensitivity.

Youth:

The clinic’s dedication to the Hispanic community includes the creation of a special education program for young Latina girls and parents on issues such as diabetes and nutrition, and organizes peer groups at schools on tobacco, drugs, and relationships.

One program, L.A.T.A (Latina against Tobacco Addictions) has been running for five years. It is an education program that provides a group of ten girl’s ages 12-14 an opportunity to discuss issues and learn about tobacco and the consequences of smoking.

Initiatives:

SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino Initiative has helped the Hunter Health Diabetic Care Center by providing free, culturally appropriate bilingual activity books and articles that are beneficial and informative for the young Latina girls in their various programs and peer groups. SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino materials address topics of great importance to the Latino groups they serve, and help clinic staff raise and discuss these issues with parents and youth. The Diabetic Care Center has also used the posters and ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! Web site content in their regular events. Staff, youth, and parents agree that these materials are great for motivating and encouraging the girls to make positive decisions in their lives.

Contact:

Rita Solis Chavez
Community Outreach Coordinator
Diabetes/Tobacco
Email: rchavez@hunterhealthclinic.org
Phone number: (316) 303-9595 Ext: 209

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