Accomplishments of the Lansing Latino Health Alliance in 2008 show how the organization is moving forward and partnering as well as collaborating in order to fulfill our mission.

• The Board of Directors met three times during this period with its efforts focused on completing the tasks/goals identified through the Power of We Capacity Building Grant as well as working to finalize our new two year work plan.
• The LLHA was the project of MSU’s Anthropology 849 class.  The students conducted 4 focus groups, 16 individual interviews and analyzed the data to determine where we should be focusing our efforts as an organization. Data collected  from focus groups is being analyzed and a report will be developed.  The results of the study will be available in June.
• The surveys collected at the 2007 Dia de La Mujer event were been taken to MSU for data analysis.  Results of the survey are available on our website www.lansinglatinohealthalliance.org.
• The LLHA website was launched in January and provide the means to share the information we collect, promote current issues and provide links to share information from our community partners to the general public.
• The LLHA board has focused much of their efforts during this time period on identifying potential board members and consultants in an effort to insure we have a committed informed board.  The diversity of our board and community representation is setting the foundation for success in this area. Joined Michigan Nonprofit Association
• Hosted focus group for Cooley Law School Sixty Plus Elder law clinic at Cristo Rey Community Center
• Comprehensive Board Member packet created through efforts of subcommitte.

• Dr. Ruben Martinez of the Julian Samora Research Institute agreed to join the LLHA Board as a consultant.
• LLHA Board member Monica Kwasnik is serving as a peer mentor for the Power of We Consortuim Capacity
• Maria Zavala represented the LLHA in the 5th Annual Hispanic Mental Health Conference: Living on the Edge, Friday, May 23, 2008 at Curtiss Hall, Saginaw Valley State University. The title of her presentation was: The Criminal Justice system (incarcerated or on parole), recidivism and mental health. Maria’s recommendation to the LLHA board is that we participate in the planning of this conference for next year.  It was very rich in topics, had excellent presenters, and is a wonderful networking opportunity.  However attendance at the event was poor and she also proposed we promote it in the Lansing area to help with attendance numbers.  
• We were invited by Sherri King, MS Health and Wellness Specialist from the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging to present at the Michigan Partners on the PATH: 1st Annual Conference on Partnership for Diversity and Wellness on June 6 at the LCC West Campus in Lansing. Maria Zavala represented LLHA and was part of a panel where she discussed how chronic disease affects the Hispanic/ Latino culture, and gave suggestions on how the sponsoring group could recruit leaders and participants for the chronic disease self-management programs. 
• Dr. Olga Hernández- Patino LLHA Board Chair attended the Michigan Minority Health Coalition’s Removing Health Inequity Barriers Conference on June 13 at MSU Kellogg Center in East Lansing. She attended the session titled Components for a Successful Grant: Finding Funding and Supportive Data. Also during the dinner banquet she was able to hear the keynote speaker Dr. Gary A. Puckrein from the National Minority Quality Forum in Washington D.C. 
• Dr. Olga Hernández- Patino also gave testimony representing the LLHA at the House Health Policy Committee Hearing on the topic of Minority Health Disparities held on Thursday June 19  at 9:00 am in Room 519 Legislative House Office Building, 124 N. Capitol in Lansing.  (Her testimony is attached.)
• Rachel Copeland and Leslie Johnson served as deliberative jurors on a jury convened to look at the possibility of creating a BioTrust in Michigan.  The group met three times during April and May.  The LLHA was represented at Lansing Community College’s Cinco de Mayo event by Rafael Marinez and Leslie Johnson and distributed over 75 brochures to community members and organizations.  They also had the opportunity to gain information on additional groups that should be included in the Resource Directory.
• Completion of the LLHA brochure, recruitment of new board members and consultants, distribution of the LLHA Board Member Binder, selection of Monica Kwasnik to serve as peer mentor.  Please see the attached summary of the findings from the research groups and individual interviews titled Summary Report Health Needs of Lansing Latinos.

 August 1, 2008 through October 15, 2008 

• Health Needs of Lansing Latinos: An Exploratory  Qualitative Study . The study was completed in Spring 2008 by the graduate level anthropology methods class of Dr. Linda Hunt , under the guidance of the Lansing Latino Health Alliance. Thirty seven individuals participated in the study, 21 in focus groups and 16 in individual interviews. Age, income, education-level, health coverage status , nationality and country of origin varied widely in the study sample, as does the composition of latinos in the Lansing Commmunity. Dr. Hunt reported the results of the pilot study have not changed yet continuous work goes forth. She is discussing the possibility of publication of the reports and will give us further detail at a later date. Monica wrote a summary based on the report done by Dr. Hunt and her students and presented the following recommendations;
• Identify available interpreter resources and then educate health care community about how to use them.  Lobby for development of more and better interpreter services.  Encourage local health providers, health plans and insurance companies to assure that bilingual information is available, and that accurate Spanish translations of key forms are also available.
• Develop and promote community-based health workshops and lectures targeted to Lansing-area Latinos.
• Develop and disseminate a Directory of Greater Lansing Health Resources for Latinos, especially for those who are low-income or uninsured.  This should include contact information for medical, dental, and eye specialists who will negotiate prices and payment plans, and/or accept public benefit plans like Medicaid and IHP.
• Develop a Health Plan Information Bank for key health plans:  IHP, Cristo Rey, Medicaid, BCBS, etc.
• Lobby for development of more clinical resources targeting Greater Lansing area Latinos including bi-lingual services.
• Lobby for expansion of benefits under public assistance plans like Medicaid and IHP, including dental and eye specialists, and medications.
• Lobby for creation of a Latino Community Health Advocate who is knowledgeable about health plan rules, laws, and basic health care, and will act as a bilingual case manager to help navigate specific health needs, including those of recent immigrants.
• The LLHA was represented at the Allen Neighborhood Farmers Market on September 24, 2008 by Leslie Johnson, Rafael Marinez, Connie Currier, Rosina Hassoun Monica Kwasnik, Linda Delgado Kipp, and Olga Hernandez-Patino. These members distributed; LLHA brochures, R.E.A.D.Y kits from the Michigan Department of Education, and health brochures, coloring books, and stickers from the CDC, National Diabetes Information Clearing House, Tomorrows Child, and Michigan Department of Safety.
• The Latino Medical Students Association of Lansing has invited Dr. Hunt to give a speech on the report she and her class did for LLHA.
• Cristo Rey Church has given LLHA permission to distribute Health education material to its members following its Mass on October 19, 2008.
• LLHA is represented by Ari Flores as a volunteer ESOL Tutor and Teacher Assistant at the Sunday evening ESOL courses held at Central Nazarene Church.
• LLHA is represented by Ari Flores as a volunteer for the Extreme Home Makeover- Lansing with Mayberry Homes, Lansing Community College, and Michigan State University.
• LLHA has been approved to partner with National Diabetes Education Program and granted permission to link our website to the NDEP website as well as place the NDEP logo on our promotional materials. Olga Hernandez – Patino presented a testimony at the House Health Disparities Hearing on June 19, 2008 and presented the following areas as major concerns are lack of bilingual services, safety, lack of community support and cohesiveness, obesity, cleaner neighborhoods, culturally competent medical staff and healthcare services. As of this date these areas remain major concerns for the Latinos in the Greater Lansing Area.