A multicultural and multilingual outreach program for cervical and breast cancer screening.
Partners in Health: The Breast and Cervical Health Cooperative is a New Orleans-based community health intervention program designed to increase the access of underserved multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual women to cervical and breast cancer health education and screening. This article describes innovative approaches used over the past 4 years to successfully link the services of a university cancer center to women in the community through a culturally sensitive outreach program. In addition to cancer screening, health referrals were made for many other diverse medical/social complications such as hypertension, obesity, and violence. The program initially targeted African American women but during the past year has successfully integrated Latinas. Key to the program's success was the collaboration of community lay health educators, community churches, advanced practice nurses, and public health programs. This article provides an overview of program strategies and outcomes and discusses multicultural and multilingual issues.
Giarratano
Gloria
G
Partners in Health Program, LSU Health Sciences Center, School of Nursing, 1900 Gravier Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. ggiarr@lsuhsc.edu
Bustamante-Forest
Rosa
R
Carter
Celestine
C
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D008403:Mass Screening; D015397:Program Evaluation; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*