CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: Uses Spanish-Language Health Programs to Reach Latinos
As part of a "new emphasis" to reach Latinos who often have little access to health care, the first of 12 planned Spanish-language television programs about health care will air today in Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa Times reports. The television programs are part of the Latino Outreach Committee's a long term strategy to increase California Latinos' overall awareness of health issues. The programs will air twice per week, covering issues such as diabetes, drug abuse and domestic violence. Dr. William Walker, director of Contra Costa's health services department, said that officials "know that the community needs this information and that the department needs to get the information out about the various services it offers." Lorena Martinez-Ochoa, a health department program specialist, added, "The community gets a lot of its information from television and we didn't find much in local Spanish TV that focused on health ... It's something that our community outreach workers told us people want." Depending on the success of the program with local Latinos, county officials may consider expanding the programs to include live call-in shows (Sharpe, 8/8).
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