The Community Health Action Department assesses health needs within the community as a whole, and develops strategies grounded in public health and community mobilization to address these needs at the individual, family, group, community, or structural level as appropriate. The Department concentrates on health issues/needs most prevalent with La Clinica's patient population, including but not limited to diabetes, HIV, cardiovascular diseases, mental health/substance abuse, reproductive health, access to care, culturally competent care, and other health issues as they emerge. The Department exists to fulfill La Clinica's role as a leading voice for Latino health within the community who is looked to by community members and the health community for leadership around key public health issues.

The Department includes La Clinica's community health fairs and education, HIV prevention programs from outreach to screening and linkage to care, and training for promotores de salud, or community health fairs.

Health Fairs

The health fairs program includes over 25 weekend health fairs each year to promote healthy living in the different Latino communities of the DC area. The health fairs rely on trained community health educators, or promotores de salud, to conduct the bulk of community education.

The promotores de salud host different charlas, or educational "chats," on a variety of topics at health fairs and other La Clínica events. These charlas range in topics from healthy eating to cancer. 

La Clínica is proud to share a recent study of our Health Fairs and Promotores de Salud programs by Lara Kostun. We thank her for her critical review of the program and her insightful recommendations.

For more information on health fairs and promotores de salud, please contact Michael Dalious, Health Fairs Coordinator, at mdalious@lcdp.org.

To download our Health Fairs Program Manual, please click here.

HIV/AIDS Prevention

The HIV/AIDS Programs at La Clínica strives to prevent HIV transmission in the Latino community. For those patients living with HIV/AIDS, please visit our HIV System Navigator Page.

Our HIV/AIDS outreach focuses on three different population areas:

HIV Primary Prevention: Programs seek to reduce new infections of HIV among the Latino immigrant community through outreach and education, groups, and community engagement. Promotores de salud trained in HIV prevention conduct street outreach and visit Latino establishments and locations to spread HIV prevention messages. Programs in this area include Entre Amigas, Entre Amigos, Hermanos de Luna y Sol, Real AIDS Prevention Project, and Paso a Paso.

Youth Prevention: Serves the Latino young adult community, specifically targeting gay men and transgender women aged 18-24.This population is one of the fasting growing HIV positive groups and La Clínica reaches out to them with their CDC Youth Project, which includes Mpoderate and Comprehensive Risk Counseling services.

Counseling, Testing and Referrals: La Clínica offers free HIV testing and System Navigation for Latino immigrants who do not know their HIV status, and for those who are living with HIV and seeking services. Latinos are more likely to be diagnosed years after their initial infection and La Clínica works to ensure that all Latinos in the DC area know their status. The program serves all in need.