title: A Voice and a Vote: The Advisory Board Experiences of Spanish-Speaking Latina Mothers.
abstract: Latino children experience disparities in health care access and quality. Family advisory groups for clinics and hospitals may be one way to address disparities. We implemented and sustained an advisory board whose parent participants were exclusively limited-English proficient Latina mothers. As part of the board evaluation, we conducted semistructured individual interviews with parent participants during initial participation and after the final board meeting of the year. Members were satisfied with their board participation in both initial and follow-up interviews. They reported that board membership was an important way to improve clinic services and a unique opportunity for Latinos in the community. Experiences of discrimination and marginalization in health care settings were a theme across interviews. Members reported board membership countered these negative experiences. An advisory board including Spanish-speaking parents is an opportunity to engage vulnerable populations, which may result in broader impact on health care disparities.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa Ross
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: DeCamp
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polk
authors.forename: Marilyn Camacho
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chrismer
authors.forename: Flor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giusti
authors.forename: Darcy A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sibinga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D026683:Advisory Committees; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D010372:Pediatrics; D011320:Primary Health Care; D058996:Quality Improvement; D063505:Racism; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D055815:Young Adult