LRPC Report. October 2023.Final

Latino Research and Policy Center at the ColoradoSPH Report 2021-2023

Everything in this report is copyrighted; please see the last page if you want to use any of the information on this report.

RELEASED OCTOBER 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

02

MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM DIRECTOR

03

WHO WE ARE & LEADERSHIP TEAM

06

RESEARCH

11

SERVICE PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

15

EDUCATION

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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LETTER FROM THE INTERIM DIRECTOR LRPC@ColoradoSPH

Strength and resilience. These are the words that come to mind as I reflect on the last few years. The strength of community in the face of challenges, and the resilience to move forward.

The COVID-19 epidemic has been a galvanizing moment for Latino-serving efforts in Colorado. Much of the effort in serving Colorado’s Latino communities was conducted by the smaller, neighborhood level efforts, some in collaboration with local and state public health agencies, and community health providers. These agencies worked tirelessly to provide COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and work against the tide of COVID-19 misinformation. They are heroes who stepped up to serve their neighborhoods and communities without funding (or very delayed funding), with pure dedication and phenomenal community organizing skills!

At LRPC, Patricia Galetto De Winnica led the COVID-19 effort and connected CU Anschutz faculty to organizations, media, and others in order to ensure that accurate scientific information was accessible and culturally responsive. She and her team also created a calendar and map to promote the COVID-19 vaccine clinics and worked with Latino-serving agencies across the state.

As the COVID19 pandemic has receded and is now endemic, LRPC has continued and expanded our efforts on several fronts.

Highlights include: • Dr. Evelinn Borrayo continues her large cancer research project with our staff members, Samantha Lopez, Elisa Morales and Jennifer Villalobos Sorg.

• Dr. Claudia Amura has improved the Latino Health Certificate to offer courses with a more distinct focus, one on Lathealth data and the other on authentic community engagement with a community immersion component.

• Dr. Amura and a doctoral graduate student, Noemy Perez, are providing evaluation support to a community partner on a reproductive health curriculum for Latinas.

• I am collaborating with the Southeastern Colorado AHEC, Doreen Gonzales and the Promotora Network of that region to tackle high rates of tobacco smoking among Latinos in Southeastern Colorado.

• LRPC is entering the policy arena with a new grant to investigate reimbursement opportunities for health navigators community health workers by private payers.

As we enter a new era post-COVID-19, with social justice and dismantling institutional racism at the forefront, LRPC is poised to make an impact through effective collaborations and continued research. We have a new partner through Dr. Carlos Hipolito of LRPC at UC Denver which received significant investment by CU. UC Denver and CU-Anschutz are now (again) Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which will provide access to new funds to better serve our Latine students, staff, faculty and community. There is still much to do, and LRPC is excited about our future!

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WHO WE ARE The Latino Research and Policy Center (LRPC) was founded on July 1, 1997 and is currently housed within the Department of Community and Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH). Our offices are located on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Our center is considered a “think and act tank.” The LRPC was founded upon the close of the Colorado Hispanic Institute (CHI: 1986-1996) which operated at CU Denver and at two other Denver colleges. CHI board members decided to establish a Latino “think tank.” Dr. Fernie Baca, then a vice chancellor at CU Denver, brought CU Boulder sociologist Dr. Estevan Flores to Denver to establish the center. Dr. Flores, the first center director, provided intellectual and strategic guidance while focusing the center on Latino issues in health, education, and immigration. Following Dr. Flores’ (director) leadership, Christine Johnson (director) led the center, followed by Josette G. Harris, PhD (interim director), then by Evelinn Borrayo, PhD (director), next Fernando Holguin, MD (director). The LRPC is currently led by interim director Patricia Valverde, PhD, MPH since 2021.

As originally envisioned, LRPC continues to focus on the well-being of Latino communities by working together with students to reduce the disparities that affect Latino communities; to increase collaborative partnerships with community-based organizations, academic institutions, and state/city elected officials; and to work toward eliminating the health disparities affecting Latino communities in Denver, in Colorado, and beyond.

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MISSION, VISION, & SOCIAL MEDIA

Mission: LRPC at the ColoradoSPH mission is to increase collaborative partnerships with community-based organizations, academic institutions, and state/city elected officials to work toward eliminating the health disparities affecting Latino communities in Colorado and the nation.

Vision: LRPC at the ColoradoSPH vision is to become a nationally renowned higher education, research, data, and policy expert on health disparities affecting Latino communities.

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TWITTER

LRPC WEBSITE

LINKEDIN

FACEBOOK

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

MEET THE CURRENT LRPC AT THE COLORADOSPH LEADERSHIP TEAM

Patricia Valverde, PhD, MPH Interim Executive Director

Evelinn Borrayo, PhD, MPH Associate Director of Research

Lisa DeCamp, MD Associate Professor

Claudia Amura, PhD, MPH Director of the Latino Health Certificate Program

Patricia (Claudia) Galetto DeWinnica Community Projects Senior Coordinator

Elisa Morales, MSW Behavioral Health Program Coordinator

Samantha Lopez Alvarez, BS Professional Research Assistant

Jennifer Paola (Villalobos) Sorg, MS Community Research Manager

We also want to acknowledge other core team members such as Noemy Perez, M.A, a PhD student and graduate student assistant, in addition to Paula Yanez Diaz who recently graduated with her masters in epidemiology!

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RESEARCH Through the Social Action Research Model, research at the LPRC seeks to have a positive and socially-active effect on partnering communities, rather than being purely academic.

The LRPC adheres to community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to partner with community-based organizations on the research projects it undertakes. The center’s research methods strengths are in mixed-methods, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, and in formative and intervention implementation and evaluation methods.

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Funded Research NCI: Timeliness of Care Trial (Borrayo)

The purpose of the clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov,NCT04916990) is to determine how helpful a case management program is at improving the timeliness and quality of care compared to the care that patients usually receive at their hospital for lung and headand-neck cancer who live in rural areas. This is a multi-site clinical trial involving 6 treatment sites across Colorado who treat cancer patients from medically underserved rural counties.

PCORI: Stepped Care Trial (Borrayo)

The purpose of this clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov,NCT03016403) was to determine how effective a Stepped-Care program (mental health counseling) was for patients undergoing lung or head and neck cancer treatment and for their caregivers. The study found that patients who received the program had better mental health outcomes (reduced depression and improved coping and quality of life) compared to patients who received usual mental healthcare at 5 treatment sites in Colorado that treat medically underserved patients.

CDPHE: At Its Root (Borrayo)

The LRPC led a multi-site program (At its Root) across three primary care clinic systems (Denver Health, STRIDE, High Plains) to reduce infection from the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a risk factors for cervical cancer. The “At its Root” program delivered the HPV vaccine to 1,045 young adult women (19-26 years old) who were medically underserved. Although CDPHE funding ended, this program is ongoing at Denver Health and STRIDE.

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Funded Research Continued...

CCTSI/NIH: WE-CAN Project (Amura)

A social marketing approach to healthy communities and tackling substance Use in Rural Colorado. Amura, CRA. (PI). One community engagement grant to build the Las Animas and Huerfano rural coalition for substance use, and a translational research grant to follow a Boot Camp Translation-informed method to co-create evidence based messaging and anti stigma campaign that resonate with the community. Results from this joint participatory design effort are being finalized and have potential to inform public health interventions rooted in evidence, community input and equity, and further disseminate to diverse communities.

University of Colorado Cancer Center: Latinx Adolescent Vaping Project (Valverde) The primary purpose is to develop a comprehensive description of Latino youths’ electronic smoking device behaviors and inform preventive and control strategies.

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SCHOLARLY PRODUCTS* Ulrich, G. R., Ranby, K. W., &Borrayo, E. (2023).

Underserved head-and-neck and lung cancer patient characteristics are associated with caregiver participation in a clinical trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 101195.

Bilenduke, E., Dwyer, A. J., Staples,E. S., Kilbourn, K., Valverde, P. A.,Fernández, M. E., & Risendal, B. C.(2023).

A practical method for integrating community priorities in planning and implementing cancer control programs.

Cancer Causes &Control, 1-11.

Martin, K. J., Polk, S., Young, J., &DeCamp, L. R. (2023). Health Care for Children in Immigrant Families: Key Considerations and Addressing Barriers. Pediatric Clinics, 70(4), 791-811.

Valverde, P. A., Kennedy Sheldon,L., Gentry, S., Dwyer, A. J., Saavedra Ferrer, E. L., Wightman, P. D., & National Navigation Round table Workforce Development Task Group. (2022). Flexibility, adaptation, and roles of patient navigators in oncology during COVID‐19.

Cancer, 128, 2610-2622.

Borrayo E.A., Juarez-Colunga, E., Kilbourn, K., Waxmonsky, J.,Jacobson, M., Okuyama, S., Swaney,R., Wamboldt, F. S., Karam, S., Lopez Alvarez, S., Jin, X., Nguyen, J. (2023).Stepped-Care to Improve Mental Health Outcomes among Underserved Patients with Lung and Head and Neck Cancer. Psycho-Oncology.

Epub: 2023. doi:0.1002/pon.6223

* These publications are just a few examples that our faculty, staff, PRAs and LHC students have worked on.

Please visit our website and faculty profiles for a more comprehensive list of publications.

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SCHOLARLY PRODUCTS CONTINUED* Li, Q.*, Riosmena, F., Valverde, P. A.,Zhou, S., Amura, C., Peterson, K. A.,... & Feder, L. (2022). Preventing intimate partner violence among foreign‐born Latinx mothers through relationship education during nurse home visiting.

Journal of Nursing Management, 30(6), 1639-1647.

Bradley, C. J., Anderson-Mellies, A.,Borrayo, E. A., Doherty, J. A., Escontrías, O. A., Garcia, D. O., ... &Cook, L. S. (2022). Ethnicity, socioeconomic status, income inequality, and colorectal cancer outcomes: evidence from the 4C2 collaboration. Cancer Causes & Control, 33(4), 533-546.

Amura, C. R., Weber, M., & Cook, P.F., Sorrell, T. (2022) Outcomes from the Implementation of the Medication for Opioid Use Disorders Program for Adults with Opioid Use Disorders in Rural Colorado. BMC Journal Substance Abuse Treatment https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-02100424-4.

Wells, K. J., Wightman, P., Cobian Aguilar, R., Dwyer, A. J., Garcia‐Alcaraz, C., Saavedra Ferrer, E. L., ...& National Navigation Roundtable Evidence‐Based Task Group. (2022).Comparing clinical and nonclinical cancer patient navigators: a national study in the United States.

Cancer,128, 2601-2609.

Asdigian, N. L., Riggs, N. R.,Valverde, P. A., & Crane, L. A.(2023). Reducing youth vaping: Apilot test of the peerled “Youth engaged strategies for changing adolescent norms!”

(YES-CAN!) program. Health Promotion Practice,24(5), 956-962.

Ulrich, G., Ranby, K., & Borrayo, E.(2021, March). Dyadic participation in a psychosocial intervention among underserved head-and-neck and lung cancer patients and their caregivers. In PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY(Vol. 30, pp. 4142). 111 RIVER ST,HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA:WILEY.

Amura, C.R., Key, M., Bean, M,*Gonzales, K. Changing the Narrative around Substance Use anti-stigma campaign in Las Animas and Huerfano frontier counties. Podium at the Public Health in the Rockies Conference, Keystone, CO, September 2023

Amura, C. R., Thorne*, J, Bean, M*,Krug-Avery L., & Sylla L Cook, P. F. Evolution of healthcare workforce capacity needs for HIV and mental health services across the northwestern US during the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. JANAC (accepted October 2023).

* These publications are just a few examples that our faculty, staff, PRAs and LHC students have worked on.

Please visit our website and faculty profiles for a more comprehensive list of publications.

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SERVICE PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

LRPC faculty are engaged and involved with service projects and contracts that are tailored to the Latinx communities or helps address health disparities or inequities.

The last couple of years have revolved around working on vaccine training, tobacco prevention, reproductive health, and community health worker training programs. More information about our work can be found in this section.

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LPRC also has ties with community partners and organizations with whom we are collaborating with services projects and contracts.

Learn more about what those are below:

SOMOS-Reproductive Health Program Evaluation Contract (Amura) Faculty at LRPC are leading the evaluation of the SOMOS reproductive health curriculum implementation by Vuela for Health in Commerce City and Pueblo. Data collection processes are developed to understand the impact on the facilitators, the adolescents and their caregivers as they participate in the program.

Colorado Latino Tobacco Health Network Evaluation Contract (Valverde) Faculty at LRPC are collaborating with Southeastern Colorado Area Health Education Center (AHEC) as they work with the Southeastern Promotora Network to: 1) increase awareness of higher tobacco use rates in Pueblo and Southeastern Colorado; 2) support connecting smokers and tobacco users to cessation services; and 3) create innovative data collection methods to understand tobacco use among Latinos in Southeastern Colorado.

CCPD Policy Project (Valverde) Faculty at LRPC and our partners seek to change public and private payer policies to reimburse for health navigation services in Colorado through the Policy funding mechanism.

This project serves to reduce the burden of chronic disease in Colorado by focusing on cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.

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Motivational Interviewing Strengthening Community Vaccination Training and Community Connections to Address Latinx Health Worker Training Language Health Disparities in the Era of Equity (Valverde) COVID-19 (DeCamp, Galetto, Amura, Valverde) Faculty at LRPC are collaborating with the Patient Navigation and Community Health Worker Training (PNCT) to improve Spanish language offerings of the state-approved curriculum.

In addition, we are identifying other primary languages that are used by community health workers and health navigators across Colorado.

We are delivering workshops on using motivational interviewing to address hesitancy toward vaccinations.

Finally, we will develop an online module for community health workers and navigators to understand misinformation and how to combat the misinformation pandemic.

This CU Diversity Award was aimed at addressing the need in Latino communities by creating a collaborative hub for community based organizations. Latino communities have been disproportionately affected the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of infection, mortality rates, economic and social impacts.

Some of the factors that contribute to these health disparities include lack of access to health care and insurance, language and cultural barriers, immigration status, and occupational and environmental risks.

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POLICY ADVOCACY

Overall, the LRPC conducts social-action oriented research to affect policy in health care, and legislative environments on issues consistent with the center’s mission. While avoiding lobbying, the LRPC disseminates findings to engage and inform stakeholders who affect health policies that impact Latinos in the United States. The LRPC monthly newsletter has been an effective way to disseminate current health policy issues, promote engagement in the issue and connect people to webinars and events. The center supports informational and educational activities, geared towards a range of audiences, on health policies that affect Latino communities.

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EDUCATION LRPC at ColoradoSPH sponsors a unique certificate program that is focused on the Latino population. The Latino Health Certificate is offered through the Colorado School of Public Health at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado, and provides an experiential learning opportunity with an enhanced pipeline of professionals to work on Latino health equity.

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LATINO HEALTH CERTIFICATE PROGRAM The Latino Health Certificate (LHC) program is designed to develop the talent pipeline of individuals who can make a difference in the Latinx community. Our LHC program is unique in the following ways: • Knowledge on frameworks for addressing health disparities in the Latinx community • Opportunity to be involved in relevant experiential learning projects • Flexible online/hybrid modality for busy professionals • Guidance and interaction from successful mentors and professionals • Tailored academic path with opportunity to explore new AI/ML field and interests

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In 2022 and 2023, the LHC leadership re-designed the program to enhance the student’s experience: • Designed 3 new separate courses aligned with CSPH accreditation and current standards: • CBHS 6645: Latino Health Data and Disparities • CBHS 6655: Community Immersion • CBHS 6665: Mentored Project Dr. Amura has been leading these expansion efforts to bring this opportunity to life: • Transitioned to online/hybrid format to allow for busy professionals to participate yet provide meaningful learning experience • Secured funding to create Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Machine Learning (ML) learning opportunities for students interested in engaging in these novel techniques to enhance health equity • Built capacity and new partnerships to provide experiences in AI/M or to address Latinx health disparities: • Data gaps in relation to SDoH • Ethics in AI/ML • Big data, EMR, and sensible use of data • Wearables Chat CBT technology for health promotion in US and globally • Data repositories and disparities • Possible AI/ML focused projects

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HISPANIC OR LATINO? Being Hispanic or Latino means being a member of one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the US, and a greatly diverse group, representing different national origins, races, socioeconomics, of other characteristics that make up individual and collective identities. Although Mexicans or their descendants are the predominant group in Colorado and the Southwest states, the heterogeneity of Latino origins is increasing. We share unique backgrounds and narratives that these groups bring to the United States, from recent migration to long-standing multigeneration experiences. Many Latinos practice and keep the Spanish language alive (but not all), as well as a strong sense of community and multiple traditions within a rich culture, fusing their own immersion experience into a rich flavor of diversity.

The term "Latino" describes a person of Latin American origin, especially one who lives in the United States. It can refer to anyone born in or with ancestors from Latin America, including Brazilians. The term "Hispanic" refers to a person with ancestry from a country whose primary language is Spanish. These overlap but do not have the same meaning. The term Latino was introduced in the 2000 Census, to count one of the over 30 million people previously classified as “Hispanic”.

Most recently, the term “Latinx” has been used among academic and other institutions to describe people of Latin American descent who do not identify as male or female. Along with “Latine”, this term has been proposed as a more inclusive, gender-neutral term but is not embraced by the Latino/Hispanic community. Understanding that the language is fluid, and might change, we will continue using the historical Latino Health Certificate name for consistency and alignment with the Latino Research and Policy Center hosting our program. We acknowledge the nations and ancestral homelands of indigenous people who came before us. Whether you identify as Latino, Latina, Latinx, Latine, Latin, or Hispanic, or as an ally and a friend of our culture, we welcome your comments and invite you to learn more about the Latino Health Certificate, and to participate in creating a more inclusive environment of learning and collaboration.

Claudia R. Amura, PhD, MPH

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EXAMPLES OF TESTIMONIALS "As a Latino Health certificate student, this course has the perfect balance of expert knowledge and hands-on experience. I've made connections with peers and professionals, and even found some volunteer opportunities through the class. I return home every Monday night absolutely fired up about each week's topic, and I love it!" K.M

"Over my academic studies, this course has stood out as one of the most interesting and applicable. I thoroughly enjoyed all of our expert guest lectures as it provided insight into current programs and a population I hope to continue to serve.

The mentor program is such an exciting way to engage with the workforce and will provide valuable experience for students" S.V.

Fall 2023 LHC Class

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PROGRAM METRICS*

48 87% 59% 70 21

students enrolled in LHC classes

female

Hispanic/Latino

total LHC enrollment

mentored projects

*These metrics are our best efforts to represent student and class metrics since the program started in 2018. The LHC was not offered in 2022-23 to allow for program revamping after the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance class opportunities.

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CLASS PROJECTS Below are examples of student class projects and the mentors who made them come to fruition with the help of the students!

•Needs assessment for community based organization serving Mexican populations •Survey of COVID-19 and perceptions •Service needs recommendations

• Educational infographics to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

• Linking to maps of COVID-19 vaccination community centers (collaboration with LRPC and CDPHE)

MENTORED PROJECTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Development of Home Blood Pressure Self-monitoring in Diabetes Prevention program (D.A., R. Pereira) DPP: Facilitators and Barriers of Participant's Retention and Weight Loss (E.H., R. Pereira) Age at Arrival and Self- Reported Stress & Mental Health in Undocumented Students (K.M, E. Burciaga) Women's Mexican Identity Correlate with Reproductive Health Outcomes (A.S., K. Coleman-Minahan) Cultural Appropriateness of Training for Latino Patient Navigators (J.P.G., P. Valverde) Smoking Cessation in African American/Black and Latino Men from Aurora Communities (V.P.M., P. Valverde) Impact of mHealth/text Messaging program among Spanish Speakers in Denver metro (M.S., S. Bull) Colorado Nutrition & Wellness survey on education needs for Spanish-speaking Latinos in Colorado (B.M., M. Young, INEP) End-Stage Renal Disease Navigation (C.C., L. Cervantes) Oral health needs assessment of elderly Latinos: a scoping review (D.., Astorga) Undocumented young adults' access to healthcare. (1.L., E. Burclaga).

Telehealth and Patients with Limited English Proficiency (K.C., L. DeCamp).

Indoor Air Pollution and Asthma in Low Income Children Living in the East Colfax Corridor (M.K, F Holguin) COVID-19 pandemic Impact on HIV service delivery and response to HIV health care provider needs. (J.T, CR. Amura) Education and Intimate partner violence among foreign-born Latinx mothers (Q.L., F. Riosmena) Recommendations to Expand INEP Digital Outreach for Latino Parents using Social Media. (UG, INER J. Puma) Long term effect of the Community Heart Health Action for Latinos at Risk (CHARLAR) program. (A.B, S. Colonel) Using Social Media to Educate a Target Audlence on Poverty (M.S., Chaska) Assessing Rice bran implementation in Trinifio, Guatemala (M.F, M. Lamb) Migrant health workers occupational risks: a secondary analysIs (R.N, F. Riosmena) Marketing Campalgn for Substance use Stigma in Rural Colorado (M.B, C. Amura)

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

LRPC community engagement efforts revolve around initiating and maintaining the center’s collaborations with community based organizations serving Latino communities. This position assists with sustaining community involvement in LRPC research activities; oversees the development and implementation of communitybased research projects and educational activities; and updates community partners of LRPC activities and resources.

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BIG COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IMPACT During the COVID-19 pandemic, LRPC at ColoradoSPH (Colorado School of Public Health) experienced several challenges like many others. However, LRPC continued its service to the community, expanding its extensive list of partners to over 200 throughout Colorado. Our center partnered with more than 40 Latino community organizations and vaccination clinics to deliver educational materials in Spanish about COVID-19 through more than 30 educational webinars (informative talks) featuring Latino medical and epidemiological speakers (more than 25 speakers). These webinars, shared and posted on social media, reached more than 55,000 people and resulted in 10,000 individuals getting vaccinated through collaborative efforts with organizations, partners, and media associates. All of which helped create bridges of communication with reliable and culturally relevant information.

Additionally, other webinars on COVID-19 studies were offered with members of our Alliance of Hispanic Researchers and Professionals at CU-AMC (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus). This alliance was formed before the pandemic, comprising more than 100 Hispanic professionals and students working or studying in health-related fields within Colorado.

Patricia Galetto doing COVID-19 community work

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In 2022, work related to COVID-19 continued, including workshops offered in collaboration with HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) on vaccination and variants, as well as other training sessions in Spanish on grants for leaders and organizations. Both events provided certification and reached over 200 leaders and change agents from communities across Colorado.

We celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with the First Brain Health Fair for the Latino community. This event was a collaboration between LRPC, professionals from the Brain Health Center of the Rockies, and doctors from the neurology department at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, reaching more than 50 individuals and neurology patients. Currently, we are in the process of working with other partners to continue providing education on Alzheimer's and other topics at the Second Brain Health Fair scheduled for November 2023.

LRPC also makes significant contributions to cancer research and community education. The needs of cancer patients and their caregivers, survivors, and those who have lost loved ones inspired us to create a community space: the Latino Cancer Task Force in partnership with the Colorado Cancer Coalition, reaching more than 300 individuals through educational events on cancer prevention and providing over 50 screening kits for uninsured or low-income individuals. Our center also annually participates in the Pre-Health Day event with Future in Action sessions, offering more than 10 presentations for undergraduate and graduate students for the past six years on scholarship opportunities and the university admission process. This event, in collaboration with bilingual experts and specialists from UCDenver, TRIO, CCD, and MSU, is aimed at Latino students and parents, reaching more than 500 students.

In 2023, LRPC's community engagement efforts expanded to new levels. Early in the year, the Spanish-language support group for cancer patients, caregivers, survivors, and family members was formed under the Latino Cancer Task Force, which meets monthly and virtually.

The group provides education on mental health and support from bilingual and bicultural professionals. Currently, over fifty participants come from metropolitan areas, while the other half comes from rural areas. Most of them are cancer patients undergoing oncological treatment and survivors. In a smaller proportion, there are caregivers and family members who have lost a loved one.

This reality led us to create another Spanish-language support group in Colorado Springs and rural areas, in collaboration with the Ray of Hope Foundation and UC Health, allowing us to reach more disadvantaged areas. Furthermore, LRPC, in conjunction with HRSA, visited approximately 15 Latino organizations, clinics, and agencies in rural southern Colorado. These meetings were conducted to strengthen connections, disseminate new programs, and explore potential future collaborations with LRPC and ColoradoSPH. Similarly, we promote a program and training in Spanish for occupational health and safety workers, in partnership with CHWE (Center for Health, Work & Environment). More than five webinars offered last year had an impact with over 2000 views on videos and talks for Hispanic workers, employers, and businesses.

Stay connected with us to learn more about our community engagement efforts in the coming years!

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LRPC MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Meanwhile, as we continue expanding our work among other Latinx communities, don't miss out on the opportunity to stay connected with us and get more current updates about our work, vaccination centers, community events, professional development and training, employment opportunities, and other news through our monthly, bi-lingual, LPRC newsletter that reaches more than 7,000 of our subscribers at:

Scan QR code or go to our link to subscribe to our newsletter!

tinyurl.com/LRPCNewsletter

JUNTOS POR UNA COMUNIDAD SALUDABLE Our mission is to increase collaboration among community organizations, academic institutions, and state/municipal elected officials to eliminate health and education disparities affecting Lation/Hispanic communities in Colorado and the nation.

October 2023 Newsletter •Vaccination Centers and COVID-19 •Community Events & Opportunities •Professional Development & Training •Employment Opportunities •Grants & Funding •Additional Resources

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Example of how our LRPC Newsletter looks like

The Latino Health Certificate Visit LRPC at ColoradoSPH Events Calendar in the Newspaper El Diario del Comercio de Colorado

PARTNER TESTIMONIALS

“At El Comercio de Colorado, we've had the privilege of partnering with the Latino Research and Policy Center (LRPC) since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. This collaboration has been nothing short of remarkable. Together, we embarked on a mission to provide our community with vital information related to the pandemic. Through a series of 32 Facebook Live events, we covered every aspect of the pandemic, from understanding how to deal with contagion at home to promoting preventative measures like mask-wearing and vaccination. LRPC played a crucial role in identifying experts in various fields, Adelante Community Development brought in community members, and we at El Comercio de Colorado ensured the dissemination of informative articles and videos from each event...”

Jesus Sanchez Melean (Editor of El Comercio de Colorado); August 2023

"The services MIEL offer are aimed for underrepresented groups in the community.

Thanks to the connections from LRPC, we have had amazing collaborations from different organizations, and/or specialists that have helped us develop some of our Mental Health/Immigration focused programs, as well as helped facilitate some of the workshops/conferences we've offered..." --Ivon Romo (Founder/President of MIEL Foundation); August 2023

"Our student-led organization, SACNAS, has been so lucky to have the Latino Research Policy Center (LRPC) as a partner. Together, we have been able to support students currently pursuing public health and medicine related graduate degrees by providing networking opportunities for career advancement and creating a community that fosters meaningful friendships. I recommend the LRPC for any student that is looking to meet others that are passionate about health equity research and want to make a difference through active community engagement." ---

"Colorado has many organizations serving the community but speaking Spanish or 100% supporting a diverse community reduces the number of organizations; LRPC has bridged this gap and, at the same time, made these connections that are so important to everyone; the impact alone can be described as invaluable.”---

Betzaida Maldonado, M.S. (Native American Affairs Officer with the Colorado SACNAS Chapter); August 2023

Blanco Xiomara (Coordinator for the Support Group of Fathers; Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition); August 2023

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OUR CURRENT 2023 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

Please visit our website to find an updated list of the current partners we work with.

LRPC at ColoradSPH Website: tinyurl.com/LRPCwebsite

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THANK - YOU

Copyright (c) 2023 by the Latino Research and Policy Center with the Colorado School of Public Health at Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author. For permission requests, write to the author at: LRPC@cuanschutz.edu.

Cover designer: Canva.com Interior design and composition: Anschutz Medical Campus Printing Services and Jennifer P. Villalobos-Sorg If you have any questions about the content on this report please email us at: LRPC@cuanschutz.edu

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