Since 1993, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has recognized leaders who work in their neighborhoods and communities to address some of the nation's most intractable health care problems.  With courage, creativity, and commitment, they overcome incredible odds to pursue strategies that improve the health and quality of life for men, women, and children in communities across the United States. 
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RWJF
Community Health Leaders
P.O. Box 2316
College Road East and Route 1
Princeton, NJ 08543-2316
(609) 627-5809

Community Health Leaders Address Health and Health Care for Immigrants and Their Families

San Diego Peer Exchange

In May 2008, Community Health Leaders (CHL) from the southwest border states of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas met in San Diego to deliberate a crosscutting issue of great concern and controversy. It is an issue having a major impact in their communities: health and health care for immigrants and their families in the southwest United States. As peers they exchanged knowledge and experiences, and developed a consensus on recommendations to improve practices and policies

Click here to view full report. 
 

Ten Extraordinary Americans Recognized for Local Innovation in Improving Health and Health Care Click a Leader photo above to learn more Read more >>>

Kimberly Dilosa (CHL Special Gulf Coast Award 2006 receives 2008 Business Innovator of the Year Award Dilosa receives the award from New Orleans City Business for her campaign “Teen-friendly GNO” (Greater New Orleans). The campaign seeks to bring the issues facing teens in the Greater New Orleans area to the collective consciousness of the local, state, federal and international communities while making New Orleans a safe-haven for teens once again. In helping the teens of the Greater New Orleans area, Dilosa, as well as the YOUTHanasia Foundation is seeking to open two teen centers as well as launch its Final Fridayze program. Final Fridayze is a program that hosts a series of events geared toward the teens and adults on the last Friday of each month. YOUTHanasia was previously acknowledged with this same award in 2006. For more on the 2008 Business Innovator of the Year Award, click here.  For more on Teen-friendly GNO, click here.Read More

Make the Road (Andrew Friedman - CHL 2007) releases new report on the implementation of translation services in New York City hospitals In 2006, Make the Road New York won a significant battle for limited-English-proficient (LEP) patients across the state. The new regulation required hospitals in New York State to inform patients that they could access free language assistance services from the hospital. The hospitals are mandated to provide these language services to patients who request them in a timely manner in order to reduce communication barriers between patients and their healthcare providers. In 2007, Make the Road New York and other organizations conducted a survey and released a report on the compliance of New York City hospitals with the new regulations. Get the report here.

Laura Perez' (CHL 2007) balancing act as administrator, clinician and outreach worker at Street Level Health Project is the subject of a San Francisco Chronicle story Like many immigrants, Laura Perez left Peru and came to the United States in hopes of helping her family financially. In the 18 years since, she has transitioned from being a nanny to becoming an outreach worker trying to improve the health conditions of immigrant workers in the San Francisco area. Her work in outreach led to her being hired as Street Level Health Project’s executive director. Read more about Laura Perez in the San Francisco Chronicle.

David Kalke (CHL 2001) and the Community of St. Martin announce the opening of its Sister House in Michoacán, Mexico and the start of the Nuestro Hogar project Rev. David Kalke celebrated the opening of the Community of St. Martin’s new sister house in Michoacán, Mexico with a Mass attended by about 20 local peasants. The first project of the Michoacán house will be the Nuestro Hogar (Our House) retreat for HIV+ persons. Nuestro Hogar will serve as a retreat center for providing popular healthcare education on nutrition, spirituality, dealing with grief and other themes that will help participants live better and longer with HIV. Read more >>>

Jonathan Delman
Community Health Leaders
2008

Jonathan Delman has struggled with mental illness his entire adult life. Aware of everyday stigmas...
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