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Frontera de Salud 2008-2009
(25 points)

Dates: Trips are scheduled approximately every other month. If interested, contact John Ray (jkray@utmb.edu), or Kyler Elwell (keelwell@utmb.edu) student directors for Frontera. The first weekend will begin Friday, Nov. 21, 2008.

Participation: Participation is open to all students. Consider academic demands in scheduling this activity as it requires a complete weekend.

Description: Culturally immerse yourself in this life altering experience close to the Mexican-American border. Be part of an interdisciplinary health care team that provides health care and health education to the impoverished community located in Cameron Park. You will stay with a family, assist in diagnosis of patients, and help in educational programs for the public. Learn first-hand the social, economic, and cultural issues in this community. Gain valuable skills in dealing with the health conditions of Mexican-Americans.

Activities:

Gain background information at the Cultural Orientation session conducted by Carolyn Utsey.
Dates to be scheduled by Frontera de Salud.
Attend the weekend program at Frontera de Salud. Leave the UTMB campus by van late Friday afternoon and return Sunday evening.
Complete a reflection essay (not to exceed 500 words) summarizing what you learned about providing health care to this community and how you will apply this knowledge in their future profession. Essay should include:

Activity Objectives: The student will have opportunities to:

Experience cultural immersion in the impoverished Mexican-American community. Students acquire practical skills for negotiating differences: social, economic, cultural, and linguistic. Students stay with a family and visit the homes of community residents who have requested specify healthcare information, assist the community nurse in identifying residents in need of referral to the clinic, and follow-up on clinic patients to reinforce medical recommendations, monitor compliance, and check on their progress.

Serve as a team member in an interdisciplinary clinic in a rural setting. Students learn about conditions affecting Mexican-Americans in particular including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease and depression. In addition, drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy and domestic violence are endemic in this stressed community, the poorest of its size in the U.S. according to the 2000 census.

Develop communication skills by working with the promotoras de salud to improve their understanding of basic healthcare, assisting in community education forum, and participating in a door-to-door health promotion campaign. Health topics that may be covered include rashes, childhood hills, and heart-healthy diets and exercise. May assist the community nurse and clinical preceptor to prepare healthcare presentations to the community-at-large on topics such as “Diabetes: What Is It?”

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