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local area spotlight The Huron Valley Area Service Center reaches out to local Latino population The Latino population in Washtenaw County, located in southeastern Michigan, numbers nearly 6,000 people. For many of these Latinos, healthcare is difficult to access due to a lack of insurance or language barriers. Serving everyone with cancer needs equally is a key priority of the American Cancer Society. The Society shares this goal with Día de La Mujer Latina (Day of the Latina Woman), a non-profit organization that focuses on providing accessible health services and education to Latinos.  On the national level, the Society is a major financial contributor to Día de la Mujer Latina. "The American Cancer Society embraces and supports us," Venus Gínes, a Society advocate, breast cancer survivor, and founder of the organization, said. Locally, the Society’s Huron Valley Area Service Center partnered with Día de la Mujer Latina and other community-based organizations, businesses, and healthcare providers to bring the First Annual Health Fiesta to Michigan on July 16 at Ypsilanti High School. "ACS and all of the different organizations really want to touch the underserved and make sure they get all the information that everyone else gets," Leah Hollier-Kerr, quality of life director at Huron Valley, said. Dr. Lisa Newman, the medical director at the University of Michigan Breast Care Center and a Society board member, saw southeast Michigan as an area in need of a Health Fiesta and approached Venus about the event. Venus held the first Health Fiesta in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1997. To date, the event has been held in 22 cities across the United States and Puerto Rico. In December 2005 Huron Valley staff met with Venus, Dr. Newman, and representatives from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center to initiate plans for the event. They then met monthly with other local organization members to prepare for the event and sought input from local Latino community representatives. At the Health Fiesta, Huron Valley staff provided all of the cancer-related information and resources. They passed out skin, colorectal, and cervical cancer materials at a resource table and put on two workshops to educate Latina women about breast cancer. Other services provided at the event include blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, diabetes risk and nutrition assessments, and vaccinations. To ensure that the event’s environment mirrored the atmosphere of the signature Latino fiesta, the event also featured children’s activities, a raffle, food, and music. There are plans to continue the event in the area with goals to increase community involvement and integrate eligible female participants into early cancer detection programs such as the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program. The Great Lakes Division congratulates the Huron Valley Area Service Center, serving Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe Counties, for promoting cancer awareness in their local Latino community. | |
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