Community-Led Program Development (1990s)

As promotoras worked closely with community members and patients, they began to identify additional unmet needs. After serving 1,200 children, they recognized dental care as a top priority, which led to the opening of La Clínica’s dental clinic. The Madres en Marcha program addressed depression among women through community-building and education. In La Familia Sana, community health workers began teaching in medical and nursing schools—a program that later evolved into Nuestra Familia Sana, now housed at The Next Door, Inc. Another successful initiative, Pasos a la Salud, was a weight management group program funded by Pfizer and later by HRSA. Its impact continues today, as groups of comadres who met through Pasos can still be seen walking together in the community.