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Border Health Strategic
Initiative (Border Health ¡SI!)
To confront the threat of diabetes
on the U.S.-Mexico Border,
representatives from border communities in Yuma and Santa Cruz
Counties
joined the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
(MEZACOPH) to develop and test a comprehensive and sustainable
model for
community-oriented chronic disease prevention and control.
Launched in
October 2000, the Border Health Strategic Initiative (Border
Health
¡SI!) model promoted individual prevention and control, while
assisting
communities to develop system-level strategies that support
healthy
behaviors. Central to the model’s success were promotores de salud,
who
not only provided services to individuals, but also engaged
community
members in addressing the health of their environment. Border
Health
¡SI! was a true collaboration between community and academic
partners.
The former understood the needs and local issues of their
community.
The latter brought technical expertise in intervention design and
evaluation. The synergy provided an energizing and inspirational
experience for all involved.
The vision of Border Health ¡SI! was to create a comprehensive
chronic
disease prevention and control model that will have the greatest
impact
on a community over an extended period of time. To realize this
goal,
the project operated under a set of guiding principles outlined
below.
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Comprehensive: addresses multi-levels of prevention.
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Community-Oriented: strategies
developed within the community.
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Acceptable to stake holders:
involves community partnerships.
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Effective in fostering and sustaining change: strategies
involve
individual skill building and support.
-
Evaluation: rigorous scientific assessment of processes
and
outcomes of change.
-
Transportable: adaptable to
other communities.
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Sustainable funding.
Under these guiding principles, Border Health ¡SI! encompasses a
series
of objectives or project components that comprise our goal toward
a
comprehensive and systems change approach to chronic disease.
Border Health ¡SI! programs:
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Special Action Groups -
Help community design and implement policy.
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Patients - Increase the extent and efficacy of patient diabetes
self-management through self-management, skill-building and
patient-empowerment.
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Providers - Work with health care providers in community health
centers to evaluate and improve the quality of their diabetes
care.
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Families - Increase the range of primary prevention and diabetes
support behaviors of family members of identified persons living
with
diabetes.
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Community - Increase primary prevention behavior among community
members through improved nutrition and increased physical
activity.
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Schools - Assist elementary and middle school to develop policy
related to school-based nutrition and physical activity.
Guiding
Principles:
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Comprehensive
-
Community-Oriented
-
Acceptable to stake holders
-
Effective in fostering and
sustaining change
-
Evaluation: rigorous scientific assessment of processes and outcomes of change
-
Transportable: adaptable to
other communities
-
Sustainable post funding
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