An outreach program focusing on Latina health is expanding its community scope with more board members and increased efforts to involve students, coordinators said.
Prosumer Mujeres, a community advisory board in the nursing school’s Center for Healthy Outcomes in Aging, was formed as a University effort to encourage Hispanic women in the community to take charge of their health and wellness, coordinators from the College of Nursing and Health Innovation said.
“The connectedness of ASU to the community is made real by the board,” said Colleen Keller, board member and director of the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. “We live and work near the community we serve.”
This semester, the research group is undergoing significant expansion, Keller said.
New board members include prominent community leaders such as Janey Pearl, the Latino Outreach Coordinator for the Arizona Department of Health Services; Jane Delgado, the CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health; Nena Peragallo of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses and Antonia Villaruel from the University of Michigan School of Nursing.
Because of economic struggles, Keller said many community-focused groups are working together to combine resources.
Prosumer Mujeres recently partnered with the Phoenix Revitalization Corporation, another outreach program that focuses on improving the quality of life within Phoenix neighborhoods.
Board director Adriana Perez, a post-doctorate fellow in the nursing school, said in addition to welcoming new partners to Prosumer Mujeres, the board wants to see more students involved — especially students from a variety of fields.
“By bringing in students from diverse backgrounds, we can be more creative in helping address community issues,” Perez said.
Students in the program would be involved in research and outreach efforts that emphasize community interaction.
This commitment to service, along with the program’s overarching outreach goals, was created with a community-minded philosophy, which Keller said has spread across the nation since President Barack Obama’s election.
“We all need to take ownership of our problems and our solutions,” she said. “By giving to others, you will make an impact in the world around you.”
The board’s first project was what Keller called a “photo voice” endeavor. Hispanic women were asked to take photos of what they ate and how they exercised to document potentially unhealthy diet patterns.
The project became just one component of the board’s campaign to fight obesity.
Keller said the next step for Prosumer Mujeres ok involves different age groups.
“It’s got to go across generations,” she said.
This expansion would mean bringing Hispanic children’s health issues to light while continuing to work with older women.
Latezia Fletcher, marketing specialist for the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, said Prosumer Mujeres has become more than just a University outreach service.
“The women are holding meetings in their own homes,” she said. “It’s become like a social network.”
Perez said that connection is the driving force behind Prosumer Mujeres.
“We help empower women to feel connected not just to the University but to their own community,” she said. “Women can see how much support they really have out there.”
Reach the reporter at jessica.testa@asu.edu.
