Maritza Gomez Discusses How Education and Communication Can Improve Community Health

Having more people in the doctor's office who speak Spanish and take time to explain what patients who don't speak any English are going through could help improve community health, said Maritza Gomez, program assistant for community engagement at the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers.

Transcript

What is the most important part of your role as a liaison to and advocate for the Spanish-speaking community in Camden, New Jersey, to improve community health?

So a lot has to do with our culture. The way we eat, the way we take care of ourselves is really poorly. Also if it has to do a lot with education. A lot of our Spanish community do not speak English so giving them a pamphlet on what’s diabetes or what’s high blood pressure is not enough. It’s sitting there taking the time explaining to them what exactly they’re going through or what is high blood pressure. It’s just a lot of education and just taking the time to work with them and just getting them more knowledge of what’s going on with their life.

Are there cultural issues that Spanish-speaking individuals may face in just getting access to care?

I know that a lot of providers around Camden don’t have Spanish-speaking providers. They either have translated phones which don’t translate the same. Having more people that speak Spanish in the offices would work. Also having meetings like CAMcare with the Spanish-speaking community and having doctors or anyone that can translate and communicate more with the community would be great building that relationship.