Our Hispanic-Latino community encountered significant obstacles during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included limited access to crucial health information and services, particularly in rural areas, language barriers, and a lack of culturally sensitive resources.
Collaborating with the Washington State Department of Health and Community-Based Organizations, and several local community-based organizations (CBOs), we aimed to effectively address these health barriers. We sought to provide our Hispanic-Latino communities in Central Washington with equitable access to healthcare information and resources that are both accessible and culturally responsive.
Partnering with the CBOs, surveys were conducted to capture concerns, fears, and confusion about COVID-19 within our Hispanic-Latino community, resulting in over 2,000 responses. Direct mail campaigns, in-person health fairs, radio, and social media ads were used to promote the survey.
The survey yielded over 18,500 answers to nine questions, with 82% of respondents identifying as Hispanic-Latino and 46% as Spanish speakers. Juntos En Comunidad then shared these findings with community leaders, government officials, and healthcare professionals to enhance access to health resources, provide information from trusted Spanish-language sources, and strengthen support networks for our Hispanic-Latino community.