Health Week focuses on local Latinos

By CARLOS VILLATORO
Register Staff Writer

For about five years now, Jose Alfaro has wrestled with high cholesterol. On Sunday morning he was among the hundreds of individuals participating in a community health and wellness fair held at Clinic Olé.

The health fair was the latest in a series of events that comprise Bi-National Health Week in Napa County, a massive effort on behalf of several local agencies as well the California-Mexico Health Initiative to increase Latino’s access to health services.

His problem with high cholesterol began with a feeling of faintness said Alfaro, a Napa farmworker.

“I got checked out and the doctors told me I needed to lower my cholesterol,” he said.

Alfaro said he doesn’t have insurance and declined to get medication for his problem, instead taking a natural approach and choosing to eat healthier food. That meant that Alfaro had to give up eating the hamburgers that he loves so much, he said.

“I don’t eat hamburgers anymore, but I still eat tasty food,” he said. “I cook my food with less oil and avoid greasy foods.”

Sixto Flores didn’t have any health concerns, he said, but wanted a full check-up nonetheless.

“They told me everything is good,” he said with a smile. “That’s important to me. Health care is so expensive and I don’t have health insurance. So this is a good thing.”

Clinic Olé partnered up with Kaiser Permanente and Napa County to provide 500 free mental and physical health screenings — checking blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, giving eye exams and talking to people about depression. The health providers also checked for osteoporosis, glaucoma and anemia.

Many Latinos in Napa, especially newly-arrived immigrants, are either reluctant to see a doctor and get these types of health screenings or don’t know where to get services said Catalina Chavez, Bi-National Health Week Napa County coordinator.

“They feel like they don’t want to (be a burden),” she said. “They would rather stay home (and be sick). They are embarrassed to ask for help.”

She also said that some Latinos are put off from going to the hospital because they lack health insurance. One of the main goals of Bi-National Health Week is to inform people about the many agencies in Napa that provide services to those with or without health insurance.

“We provide information about prevention and how to be healthy,” she said. “The other thing is to show them that they have a community that cares about them. Napa has really good resources.”

But many of the 40 or more agencies that nestled themselves inside Clinic Olé’s parking lot had nothing to do with health. Jerry Okendo, president of the Bay Area  council of the  League of United Latin American Citizens, was at the fair registering people to vote.

“There’s a lot of important issues that are facing the Latino community, especially with immigration, and it’s not going to be resolved unless we get the right people in office,” he said.

Diana Dorame, executive director of Legal Aid of Napa Valley, was also at the event talking with folks about free legal services provided by her organization. She said the immigration, landlord-tenant disputes and family law matters top the list of Latinos’ concerns in Napa.

Everyone from St. Helena Hospital, Sister Ann Community Dental Clinic, Girl Scouts, Napa Valley College, several Napa County agencies, Volunteer Center of Napa Valley as well as a whole slew of non-profit agencies participated at the event.

Bi-National Health Week continues on Tuesday with a eating disorder workshop at Calistoga Family Resource Center beginning at 10:30 a.m. Registration is required; for more information contact Wendy Lopez at 962 6206.

Napa Valley Register Copyright © 2009