The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and its various programs dedicate the month of April to creating awareness and advocating for Minority Health. Racial and ethnic minorities face the greatest health disparities in the U.S. Minority Health Month is a time for public health professionals and community partners to remember the responsibility they have to understand healthcare barriers that disproportionately affect minorities and take action towards supporting better health outcomes and creating a more culturally responsive environment. It is a time to celebrate program successes that increase health care access to our most underserved communities, such as the opening of the Fremont Public Health Center, and a time to reflect on the inequities that have yet to be addressed to consistently decrease health disparities.

To continue offering quality and affordable care options to our underserved areas in our community, The Southern Nevada Health District opened a new location at 2380 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89104.  The clinic will help increase better access to health for community members that previously had lower access to services. The new Fremont location is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that currently offers the following services:

• Primary Care
• Family Planning
• Environmental Health Services
• Food Handler Safety Cards (by appointment only)

The Fremont Public Health Center hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To find out more about The Southern Nevada Health District Fremont location visit

https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/about-us/maps/fremont-public-health-center/ or call 702-759-1000

Other SNHD healthcare services, programs and resources that focus on increasing health equity include:

Chronic Disease

• Diabetes Prevention and Self-Management Program: We offer free, Diabetes Self-Management, Education & Support (DSMES) classes in Spanish on an ongoing basis.  SNHD’s DSMES classes have received recognition from the American Diabetes Association and our classes have a 96% satisfaction rating among participants. To raise awareness of prediabetes in the Hispanic community we are also working with CHWs and Promotoras to conduct prediabetes screenings at events serving the Hispanic community to raise awareness and provide education and referrals to healthcare providers as appropriate.
• Barbershop Health Outreach Program (BSHOP): We are currently working with 10 Black-owned barbershops and 3 Black-owned beauty salons to provide free blood pressure and prediabetes screenings, education and referrals to healthcare providers as needed.
• With Every Heartbeat is Life: The free cardiovascular health class designed specifically for African Americans is taught in partnership with the Martin Luther King Jr. Senior Center. Classes are ongoing. Contact Amineh Harvey harveya@snhd.org for more information.
• Faithful Families Classes: Classes on healthy eating and physical activity are provided in Spanish at faith-based locations serving the Hispanic community. Faithful Families is an evidence-based program designed to help individuals and families eat healthier and increase physical activity.
• Grocery Store Tours (Tours gratuitos del supermercado): Our Registered Dietitian takes you on a tour of the grocery store to help you learn how to shop healthier. Tours are provided in Spanish.
• Ongoing Programs and Resources:
  • Viva Saludable Website
  • Spanish-Language Social Media Sites
    • Instagram: vivasaludablesnv
    • Facebook: Viva Saludable
  • Neón a la Naturaleza (Neon to Nature) Mobile App: Find hiking, biking and riding trails in Southern Nevada. Download for free on Apple or Google Stores.
  • Cocinando con SNAP (SNAP Cooking) Mobile App: Find healthy recipes and SNAP retailers in your neighborhood. Download for free on Apple or Google Stores
  • Caminando Alrededor de Nevada (Walk Around Nevada) Mobile App: Track your activity as you virtually walk around Nevada. Download for free on Apple or Google Stores
  • Mitad de Mi Plato (Half My Plate): A fun way to motivate yourself to eat more fruits and vegetables. Download for free on Apple or Google Play Stores
  • Programa de Prevencion de Diabetes en línea (Online Diabetes Prevention Program):
    • Learn about prediabetes and what you can do to prevent type 2 diabetes
  • Viva Saludable Blog: Information on a variety of health topics provided in Spanish
  • Healthier Tomorrow Radio Program: Monthly live call-in show that addresses health topics of concert to African American community. Sponsored by the SNHD Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and hosted through a partnership with the Community Partners for Better Health coalition

Tobacco

• Because We Matter: A smoking and vaping prevention initiative for African Americans to raise awareness, increase education, promote quit resources and engage the community to live a smoke and vape free lifestyle.
• Por mi. Por ti. Por nosotros. Viva saludable! An initiative to encourage Hispanic/Latinos to quit smoking and vaping, encourage businesses owners to implement smoke-free policies, and promote tobacco free lifestyles.
• Island eNVy: Supporting healthy lifestyles through education and engagement with Native Hawaiians and the Pacific Islander community in Southern Nevada
• CRUSH: Supporting the LGBTQ+ community to quit smoking and vaping.

COVID_FLU

• Train community messengers on how to share accurate and timely, COVID-19 and Influenza information in the community
• Provide mobile vaccine clinics in low-income communities
• Participate and coordinate educational outreach events related to COVID-19 and influenza vaccination
  • Request a vaccine clinic

National Minority Health Month began in 2001 and is observed every April to raise an awareness of health disparities among racial and ethnic minority communities and motivate changes against injustice.

The theme for 2023 is Better Health Through Better Understanding.  The focus is on improving health outcomes by providing culturally and linguistically competent healthcare services, information, and resources to empower individuals to create better health outcomes for themselves and their communities.

Health organizations use the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards to serve as a blueprint to help better the quality of services provided to all individuals, advance health equity, and help eliminate health care disparities.   Last fall, the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) had all community health center staff members complete a CLAS standards survey to ensure they are actively finding ways to increase access to health care and offer services that are culturally responsive to our diverse community.

The services the clinics currently have available for clients are:

• Bilingual staff members certified to provide interpretation services (Spanish and Swahili)
• Language line services
• UBI DUO machine used for clients who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Materials translated in Spanish and English

In addition, the clinics are always exploring other ways to best serve clients, improve work quality, reduce disparities, and achieve health equity.  Merylyn Yegon, Community Health Nurse Supervisor at SNHD said, “Providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services to our clients is important because we serve a diverse patient population with different needs.  Utilizing CLAS standards will help us advance our efforts in addressing health equity and eliminating healthcare barriers”.

For more information about the services available at both community health center locations, go to snchc.org/location/.  To learn more about CLAS go to https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas.