NCDHHS Livestream Cafecito and Tele-Town Hall: Better Health Through Better Understanding | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH     The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live Cafecito and Spanish-language tele-town hall on Wednesday, April 26, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how essential it is for North Carolinians to learn how to access and understand health-related information so they can improve their own health.

    Event participants include:

• Yazmin Garcia Rico, MSW, Director of Latinx and Hispanic Policy and Strategy, NCDHHS
• Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, M.D., FAAFP, Associate Professor and Director for Health Equity with Duke University's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
• Francisco Guzman, Minority Outreach Coordinator, Division of Child and Family Well-Being, NCDHHS

    The Cafecito falls during National Minority Health Month, a time to highlight the importance of improving the health of communities who have been historically marginalized and reducing health disparities. Equitable access to health-related information helps empower people to make the best health decisions for themselves and their loved ones. According to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Health Literacy Map, 80% of counties in North Carolina have populations that struggle to find, understand and use essential health resources and services. For the Hispanic community in particular, limited services in Spanish have an impact on the ability for many people to get the resources they need to make informed health decisions.

    Cafecito and tele-town hall panelists will discuss the following:

• Health issues the Latino community and historically marginalized communities navigate
• Importance of routine health visits, vaccines and preventative care
• Efforts to increase equitable access to health care and eliminate disparities

    The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the many health issues experienced by people across North Carolina. People within populations that have been historically marginalized are 1.5 times more likely to have a chronic health condition. Access to routine health visits and information on preventative care is essential to diagnose and manage conditions like heart disease, diabetes and many others.

    Additionally, the risks of COVID-19-related complications are greater among people who have conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, which are two of the more prevalent diagnoses in Hispanic communities. Individuals who have not received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including an updated dose, are at greater risk of severe illness or hospitalization from the virus.

    Resources are available across North Carolina to support and connect Hispanic and Latin communities with local health care providers, education and support as part of ongoing efforts to advance equitable health.

    The Cafecito will stream live from the NCDHHS Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts, where viewers can submit questions. The event also includes a tele-town hall, which invites people by phone to listen in and submit questions. People can also dial into the event by calling (855) 756-7520 Ext. 92902#.

    NCDHHS Cafecito's and tele-town halls are part of the state's ongoing public efforts to ensure equitable access to timely health information, resources and vaccines, eliminate health disparities and reduce COVID-19.

• NC Department of Health and Human Services
• 2001 Mail Service Center
• Raleigh, NC 27699-2001
• Ph: (919) 855-4840
• news@dhhs.nc.gov