Health Chats (Charlas de Salud)

In early 2022, Maria Quiñones-Cordero, PhD, from the UR School of Nursing partnered with leaders from the Ibero American Action League to launch a bi-monthly series of health talks for Rochester’s aging Latino community. Charlas de Salud (which means Health Talks in English) provides participants with valuable information and resources to live healthier and happier lives. Local health care experts deliver the educational sessions in Spanish to eliminate language barriers and promote health equity.

Health Talks have become an important part of Ibero’s older adult services offering, particularly its Centro de Oro (gold center/senior center) program, which the agency describes as a unique gathering place for individuals 60 years of age and older that meets their social and cultural needs.

Delivering health talks at Centro de Oro is one of many ways that Maria Quiñones-Cordero practices community outreach. The clinical psychologist and assistant professor of clinical nursing leads the Latino Engagement sub-core of the National Institute on Aging-funded Rochester Roybal Center for Social Ties and Aging Research (STAR). Because of her commitment to community health improvement and health equity, she won the Junior Faculty Award at the 15^th annual Satcher Awards, hosted by the URMC Center for Community Health and Prevention.

“I started volunteering at Centro de Oro in 2018,” said Quiñones-Cordero. “A lot of participants wanted to learn more about health and wellness but there were no Spanish-speaking health care professionals coming into the center to educate them. I’m fluent in Spanish and have expertise in mental health and cognitive health, so in January of 2022, I started bringing health talks into the center.”

Quiñones-Cordero hosted six bi-monthly Health Talks at Centro de Oro that first year covering topics including normal changes in mental abilities as we age, factors that affect brain health, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease & related dementias, depression, and stress management.

Building on a Successful First Year

By the end of year one, leaders at the University of Rochester Aging Institute offered to partner with Quiñones-Cordero to help connect more health care experts with the community. Ida Earner, MS, RN, CCRN, joined the Health Talks program as co-facilitator. Earner is a Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner; Co-Champion for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the UR Division of Geriatrics; and Community Engagement Liaison for the UR Aging Institute. The Rochester native went to elementary school in the same building where Ibero now hosts Centro de Oro Health Chats—the Trent and Pamela Jackson R-Center on North Clinton Avenue.

“You never forget your roots,” said Earner. “I grew up in the city of Rochester and I’m the daughter of migrant workers. My father had diabetes and many complications with the disease, so I’ve always been sensitive to health care disparities. Factors like language barriers, transportation, access to care, education, financial resources, all of the things that marginalized populations struggle with disproportionately.”

As a DEI Champion for the UR Division of Geriatrics, Earner’s mission aligns perfectly with the Aging Institute’s: To promote vitality in aging by transforming care and communities through discovery, learning, collaboration and innovation.

“The Aging Institute connects community programs, educators, clinicians, and researchers to the aging-related resources they need,” said Annie Medina-Walpole, M.D., Chief of the Division of Geriatrics & Aging and Founding Director of the UR Aging Institute. “We promote health, independence, engagement, and enable individuals to live their best lives.”

In 2023, Health Talks at Centro de Oro focused on “the 4M's” for an age-friendly health system. The 4Ms are a widely accepted set of evidence-based elements to organize the care of older adults: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. According to HANYS  “the 4Ms are essential components of high-quality care for older adults, and when implemented together, result in significant improvements.” In addition to the 4Ms, there were Health Talks about vision loss and how to prevent falls.

Back by Popular Demand — Ibero Doubles Number of Health Talks in 2024

By the end of 2023, the Health Talks were so well received by attendees that Ibero asked Maria Quiñones-Cordero and her partners at the Aging Institute to increase the frequency from bi-monthly to monthly.

“Our Health Talks are making a great impact,” said Quiñones-Cordero. “Attendees are more aware of resources in the community, particularly Spanish-speaking resources. We've seen an increase in the number of referrals to Spanish-speaking care providers including one of our neurologists who presented at Centro de Oro. And there have been similar increases in referrals to our Spanish-speaking mental health clinics.”

Topics for 2024 include diabetes, dementia, depression and anxiety, grief and loss, elder abuse, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. Facilitators from the Aging Institute collaborate with Ibero staff to determine which topics should be repeated each year based on relevance and applicability to participants.

Making Health Chats Fun and Interactive

In addition to sharing important health-related information with the Centro de Oro community, Quiñones-Cordero and Earner are intentional about making Health Talks fun and interactive. They leave plenty of time for discussion and they walk around the room for one-on-one conversations. So, if anyone is uncomfortable asking questions in front of the whole group, they can engage in a more private conversation.

“Being sensitive to people's comfort-level and privacy is important,” explained Earner. “And nobody likes to sit and just listen,” she added. “So, I thought we would incorporate a game at the end of every session. Attendees really love it. It’s a great way to assess for learning and see if attendees have questions.” 

One of the most popular games uses a traffic light theme. The facilitator describes a scenario where an individual must decide whether to talk to a health care provider or not. A “red light” response means the individual is in an emergency situation and should talk to a provider right away. A yellow light response is less urgent but still worth consulting with a provider. And a  green light response means there’s no need to contact a health care provider.

Real-life Impact

Health Talks at Ibero’s Centro de Oro have become a key touchpoint between health care professionals and Rochester’s aging Latino community. For some attendees, it’s a fun and engaging way to learn how to maintain a healthy and active life. For others, the impact is more profound.

After one Health Talk about depression last year, a participant told the facilitator she was contemplating suicide. Based on the conversation that followed this disclosure and the information shared during the Health Talk, the participant made an appointment at a mental health clinic. A few months later, the participant’s mental health had improved.

At another Health Talk, an attendee was the primary caregiver for a family member who was  showing signs of dementia. She shared that her loved one was not receiving the care she needed due to language barriers between the caregiver, her family member, and the health care provider. The presenter that day was a Spanish-speaking neurologist who booked an appointment with her loved one and diagnosed her with dementia a few weeks later. In this case, attending a Health Talk resulted in a dramatic improvement in the quality of care a patient received from health care professionals.

Building Trust and Relationships

Perhaps the greatest benefit to participants is that they now have a way to get to know health care providers who (literally) speak their language. This goes a long way toward building trust between patients and providers. Historically, there have been a lot of trust issues between patients and health care providers, especially for people that feel disconnected because of language barriers.

“Finding health care professionals who are willing to come out to the community and be a resource is critical,” said Quiñones-Cordero. “Some health conditions like depression are highly stigmatized in the community and people don't want to talk about them, or they just don't understand enough to make informed decisions about how to care for themselves. Going out and talking about these issues really opens up an opportunity for people to get educated, ask questions, and make better informed decisions about how to proceed with care.”

It's a win-win for all who are involved. “I always leave there with a full heart,” said Earner. “We're there for them but they certainly are changing us for the better as well.”