The team is excited to launch the initiative in mid-July. Throughout July and August, the Alliance and its partners will share insights, information and videos about access to medical care in Jefferson County. In the meantime, the team offers the following insights and pictures from their work so far.

 

1. Passion builds momentum  

The topic of increasing people’s knowledge of how to access and pay for physical, mental and behavioral health care, especially among Spanish-speaking community members, is a topic the people of Jefferson County care deeply about. While access to health care is not a new or surprising health priority in Jeffco, it continues to be an ongoing challenge in our communities. As partners developed this effort, time and time again, navigators, clinic providers, community members and even members of this team affirmed through their own experiences the need for basic information on levels of care, discounted care and steps for getting insurance. This priority resonates deeply with those involved. The connection to this topic, plus the desire to help make others’ experiences better, is propelling the team forward and building momentum.

 

2. Simplicity leads to curiosity 

The U.S. health care system is complicated enough. In creating materials covering complex topics, the group strived to keep things simple. This simplicity offers a starting point aimed at drawing people in to ask more questions specific to their needs. It is not necessary to provide every definition, criteria and nuance. In reality, a high level of detail can intimidate people instead of inviting them in and welcoming their curiosity. The team continued to ask themselves, “how can we simplify this information in a way that creates enough clarity, but also builds our audience’s confidence in feeling like they can ask more questions?” This is a tricky balance to strike, but the group has worked hard to find middle ground.

 

3. Language matters 

In developing their educational materials, the team learned the importance of transcreation, rather than just translation, when communicating in multiple languages. In some instances, words simply do not translate, and instead the group needed a more descriptive way of explaining complex topics. For example, in English, we use the word ‘premium’ to describe a basic concept in health insurance. If you aren’t careful, though, a Spanish translation may lead you to use the word, ‘prima,’ which refers to your cousin, instead of the payment you make to an insurance company for coverage.

 

4. Relationships Run Deep 

After working together for several months, and for some Alliance partners many years, team members know how to collaborate to get things done! In June, representatives from Jefferson Center and Doctors Care starred in videos shot at STRIDE in Wheatridge using scripts that were co-designed by representatives from Jefferson Center, Latinas Community Connection Services, STRIDE, Doctors Care and Jefferson County Public Health based on educational material content developed by the team. Jeffco rocks! Check pictures below of the video shoots.

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A lack of necessary health care can affect our work, our ability to cope with life’s challenges, and can result in significant medical debt and negative health outcomes. Through the Alliance, people in Jefferson County are coming together to help people have the right information to make informed decisions related to their health care. More organizations are joining the effort to not only distribute information, but to also learn from each other and provide feedback in a Community of Practice. If you have stories and insights to share or would like to actively join the effort, connect with Kelly. Follow the work of the team on its website.