Faith and culture in health care: Using collaborative relationships to address critical concerns -- A Roundtable Discussion

St. Mary’s Health Clinics (SMHC) were established in 1992 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province, to provide a critical safety net for the unmet and increasing health care needs of low income, uninsured children, families and individuals. SMHC provides free primary care, specialty care, medications and hospital services to eligible community members. SMHC also conducts health promotion, health screening, health education and outreach in collaboration with community organizations and assists low-income, uninsured people in finding permanent health care coverage. Currently, SMHC provides more than 16,000 visits annually through the following clinic, education and outreach activities:

1. Community Clinic Program: 200 volunteer physicians and nurses provide primary care to patients at nine community clinic sites located in churches and schools in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. All prescriptions, specialist services, medically necessary lab tests, radiology and inpatient and outpatient care is provided free to eligible patients through arrangements with hospitals and other health care providers.

2. St. Mary’s Health Clinics @ Park Nicollet: SMHC partners with Park Nicollet Health Services to provide similar services for SMHC patients at nine designated Park Nicollet Clinics.

3. Health Connections (the focus of this abstract): SMHC works to reduce health disparities in the Latino population through a major education and outreach initiative conducted in collaboration with Latino parishes and community organizations. This outreach initiative increases access to care by eliminating barriers to health care and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health education, screening and early treatment. Healthy Connections began in 2002 when SMHC received the first of a continuing series of Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative grants from the Minnesota Department of Health. The focus of the project is to help reduce diabetes and breast and cervical cancer disparities in the adult Latino population by collaborating with Latino parishes and by increasing access to health care services for Latinos through advocacy, referrals, and actual provision of health care services.

Healthy Connections is innovative and successful in its methods of outreach, patient participation and retention. Specific innovations include: Reaching out to and providing services to the Latino community where they live, worship and seek social services; Providing free comprehensive medical care, supplies and medications to low-income, uninsured Latinos; Simple patient eligibility determination; Providing bilingual staff and/or interpreters for all activities and service; Facilitating and coordinating parish activities with multiple social service and community organizations that address other economic and social needs of the Latino community.

The Healthy Connections model of working and collaborating with existing parishes, churches and community organizations is one that can be duplicated in other neighborhoods and cultural communities. These trusted organizations and gathering spots are natural locations for other organizations to reach out to community members and provide necessary services that may not be provided by the home organization or church.