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For 29 years, LHA has engaged Latinx and other people of color in high -impact disease <br />prevention and management. Among LHA's adult participants, 46% are uninsured. These <br />uninsured individuals often do not have a medical home, are subject to high rates of diabetes and <br />other chronic disease risk and face significant challenges to receiving appropriate care due to a <br />range of social determinants of health present in the communities in which they live. Since its <br />inception in 1993, Latino Health Access has been a pioneer in the Promotor de <br />Salud/Community Health Worker (CHW) model in the United States. Through its Promotor <br />model, LHA trains individuals and families affected with a physical or mental health condition to <br />gain control of their health and lives. Promotores can sustainably assist health systems to reach <br />and help these populations to make considerable health improvements in an integrated service <br />delivery model. Promotores are an important part of the health care team, as they present a direct <br />and sustained link between the patient and the health care system. There is significant evidence <br />on the effectiveness of CHWs on patient access to preventive services and on improving disease <br />outcomes for patients with asthma, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, <br />depression, and now COVID-19 among others. In addition to paid Promotores, LHA also has <br />experience training cohorts of volunteer -based, student or community -peer networks who assist <br />those in their schools, neighborhoods, or organizations to navigate systems and make health <br />improvements. Our work focuses on building relationships with communities, helping <br />individuals and families to address immediate health concerns, and most importantly, engaging <br />those same individuals and families to address the underlying causes of health disparities. It was <br />this ongoing community capacity -building infrastructure that allowed LHA to scale hiring, <br />training, and placement of Promotores to respond to COVID-19 over the last year. <br />