The mission of the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation is to innovate, impact, and improve women’s health. As part of that mission, we want to reach women across all ages and all ethnic groups with our health services and education.
From an October 2016 Release by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, we know that the Hispanic population is the most rapidly growing population in Wisconsin, growing 95% during the 15-year period from 2000-2015. In 2015, there were approximately 381,000 Hispanics in Wisconsin.
We do serve Spanish-speaking individuals with our programs First Breath, My Baby & Me, and the Komen Breast Fund, but we would like to make services and education more accessible and part of even more of our WWHF programs.
Earlier in the year, our My Baby & Me program, which helps women achieve alcohol-free pregnancies, took a step by launching a pilot for text message services in Spanish. The pilot is meant to offer support during pregnancy and breastfeeding with avoiding alcohol, managing stress, and setting goals. Women are able to sign up and receive weekly messages for up to 20 weeks with tips, information, and encouragement to word towards an alcohol-free pregnancy. The pilot is still running, and women may enroll at any time. Text MBM ESPAÑOL to 97779 to enroll!
Another effort to better serve the Spanish-speaking population is getting our GrapeVine program involved. GrapeVine trains nurses to lead health education sessions in their communities, and these nurses reach over 1,500 women each year! We are working to translate GrapeVine sessions into Spanish so that nurses may present them in their communities across the state. With many thanks to Laura Salcido with Casa Guadalupe in West Bend, we will have seven of our 12 health education topics translated by the end of the year! GrapeVine partners, Rosa Gomez and Heidi Anderson, have also been a huge help by working with Casa Guadalupe to present the Spanish sessions. We are excited to continue this and other outreach efforts!
(left- Rosa Gomez presenting GrapeVine Heart Health in Spanish to a group in Hartford, WI; right- Heidi providing free blood pressure screenings to participants)
