Clinica Del Pueblo, a Radio Talk Show for Latinos, Uses Open Discussion to Open Doors to Care
The caller was hesitant at first, possibly shy about speaking to a stranger, even one who spoke Spanish, about a personal health matter His gentle questioning reassured her so that the words soon tumbled from her mouth in a feverish torrent. At last, someone with answers to her medical concerns.
Since October 2004, Jorge Calles, M.D., has hosted Clinica del Pueblo, a radio talk show dedicated entirely to medical topics of interest to Latinos. Funded by a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Trust, the hour-long program airs once a week on seven AM radio stations across North Carolina. The program is a combination research/community outreach initiative designed to educate North Carolina’s fast growing Latino population on health topics, help listeners find culturally appropriate healthcare providers and social services, and ultimately, change health behaviors. Clinica del Pueblo follows a yearlong curriculum so that it can be replicated in other regions.
Each program features a guest speaker. After 15 minutes presenting the topic--one week it might be diabetes, the next week teen pregnancy, the next heart disease—the phone lines are opened to callers. Each program averages fifteen to twenty callers. Dr. Calles says Clinica del Pueblo fulfills important needs of an underserved population. Members of North Carolina’s Latino community often do not know how to access the healthcare system and cannot find a doctor. We help them overcome this barrier, explains Dr. Calles.
Latinos also have significant health issues. “Before coming to America, many of these people were poor and had simple diets. Now, they have jobs, money, and are exposed to fast food diets. This has created a host of healthcare woes such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity,” says Dr. Calles. Dr. Calles and his colleagues have developed a healthcare resource guide for Latinos. The ultimate goal is to make this database available in kiosks placed at clinics and state agencies. The Section is currently pursuing a grant from the National Institutes of Health for this purpose.