The MAIN Community Health Workers provided translation and interpretation for the forty people who attended - in Arabic, French and Somali.
At the end of the workshop, participants were asking, "When is the next workshop?" Later that day, the wife of a workshop participant returned to our office to thank us, saying, "My husband came home after your workshop and told me that we are cutting down the sugar in our house and changing the food that is in our cupboards! We have a lot to change. He learned so much!"
MAIN CHW Asha Ali shares, "We provide free Community Health Education Workshops each month. Each workshop is specifically focused on health prevention and chronic disease management.
Our multi-cultural team ensures that our workshops and informational handouts are culturally appropriate."
Asha continues, "Being part of the MAIN CHW Team is really fulfilling. I feel like I am part of something that is truly our community!"
A MMHP patient within the Lewiston area was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure during a primary care visit. The patient expressed his concern about this health condition to the local pormotora de salud when she was doing a weekly home visit.
The promotora provided suggestions about healthy eating choices. But the patient said that he did feel comfortable cooking food from scratch and that buying fresh produce was too expensive. So the promotora accompanied the patient on a shopping trip. She taught the patient how to read labels and which foods are lower in sodium and fats. The promotra also showed the patient that it was possible to purchase fresh produce without breaking his budget.
They then returned to the patient's house and cooked a healthy meal together. The promotora brought along vegetables that she grew in her garden to use in the meal as well. After several of these cooking sessions, the patient felt much more confident making the changes that the promotora had suggested without spending too much money. He also felt less stressed because he knew that he had the power to control his hypertension.