Nursing students, faculty attend community health fair
Several Citrus College nursing students and faculty recently connected community members to important resources at a community health fair in Los Angeles.
The free event took place on Sept. 29 at Plaza De La Raza and was hosted by La Voz, Keck School of Medicine of USC's Hispanic and Latinx employee resource group. Keck's Hispanic and Latinx inclusion resource group, La Comunidad Hispana/Latinx, also helped organize the event.
The fair, which was open to all community members, featured multiple activities, educational demonstrations and resources. It also offered blood pressure checks, diabetes education and other health and wellness items.
Citrus College was invited to the fair by Dr. Yolee Casagrande, associate administrator for nursing at Keck Hospital of USC. Dr. Casagrande and Dr. Noemi Barajas, interim director of health sciences at Citrus College, attended the same doctor of nursing practice program and are board members of the Orange County chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses.
During the fair, attendees had the opportunity to scan QR codes containing links to mental health resources, phone numbers and hotlines. The Citrus College team thought the virtual codes were helpful - attendees didn't have to go home with pamphlets or flyers on mental health assistance and potentially get questioned by family members, since mental health awareness and issues are viewed differently in many cultures, Dr. Barajas said.
These types of events are important, Dr. Barajas added, because they help students learn about other community resources, agencies and individuals that have similar goals.
"My hope is that our students learn early in their nursing careers to be confident liaisons in the communities they serve," Dr. Barajas said. "I want them to feel comfortable sharing and teaching patients and their families about mental health and other resources available to them. It is important for our students to learn, understand and respect culture awareness and beliefs for different medical illnesses."
This article originally appeared in the November 2023 edition of the Citrus View.