2 / 4
Women:
You’re covered
C
ommunity health workers
(CHWs) have been in New Mex-
ico for more than 50 years. ey
sometimes refer to themselves as
community health representatives,
promotoras/
promotores de salud
and navigators. But do you
know what these professionals do?
Stefanie Vigil, NMHC’s director of Com-
munity Health, sat down with Venice Ceballos,
CHW, manager of CHW programs for Univer-
sity of New Mexico Project ECHO, to discuss
the valuable role CHWs play.
“CHWs have a deep understanding of the
cultures, beliefs and languages of the people
and areas they serve,” Ceballos says. “ ey are
especially useful in parts of the state with lim-
ited or no access to healthcare and resources.
ey work in a variety of settings: clinics, social
service organizations, health insurance compa-
nies, on their own or as volunteers. ey also
work with people and their families in their
own homes.”
Can you help me?
A CHW is able to make complex healthcare
information clearer.
“For example, a CHW can talk to someone
newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,” Cebal-
los says. “He or she can explain what having
diabetes means and how the patient can
manage the disease. e CHW can also help
a person take charge of his or her own health
by identifying appropriate resources in the
community.”
Sometimes there is a wide cultural
gap between a provider and a
patient. CHWs help bridge that
gap. ey provide the cultural
background that is often missing
Spreading good health
all over NewMexico
in the healthcare system. CHWs can also help
people nd useful resources, such as rides to
doctor visits, healthy foods, or ways for han-
dling nancial stress.
State-certified CHWs
Certi cation through the New Mexico Depart-
ment of Health for CHWs will soon be
available. Certi cation is volun-
tary, which means that CHWs
won’t be required to become
certi ed. ey can also be
grandfathered into certi-
cation if they show that
they meet all of the state’s
requirements.
NMHC believes in
the value of CHWs.
We have partnered with
several organizations across
the state to provide CHW
services to our members. Are
you interested in working with
one? Call our o ce at
844-691-9984
.
Make a plan to fight back
Having surgery? Tips to
help prevent infection
T
his is a given if you’re facing sur-
gery: You want a smooth recovery.
So do the doctors, nurses and
other healthcare providers taking
care of you.
As a result, your medical team will do its
very best to reduce your risk of an infection at
your surgical site, a rare but possible complica-
tion of surgery.
at’s why, for example, your surgeon may
start you on antibiotics before your operation
and have you continue them for a short time
afterward. It’s also why everyone in the operating
room wears special masks, gowns and gloves.
And just like your medical team, you
should take precautions—before and after your
surgery—to stay free of infections. Here’s how
you can do that.
Before surgery:
•
Share your history. Tell your surgeon about
any medical problems you have. Some, such
as diabetes, make you more susceptible to
infections.
•
Clean with care. Follow your surgeon’s direc-
tions about cleaning your skin before your
operation.
•
Be cautious about shaving. It can irritate
your skin and raise your risk of an infection.
So don’t shave near where you’ll be operated on.
After surgery:
•
Insist on clean hands. Be sure that all
healthcare workers clean their hands before
examining you. Also, ask friends and family
to do the same before visits.
•
Become informed. Before you leave the
hospital, make sure you understand how
to care for your wound. And always
clean your hands before and after caring
for it.
•
Act quickly. Call your surgeon right away
if you have any signs of an infection. ese
include a fever, cloudy uid that drains from
the surgical site, and pain or redness around
the site.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Your plan provides benefits for
mastectomy-related services. This
includes all stages of reconstruction
and surgery to achieve symmetry
between the breasts. It also includes
prostheses and complications
resulting from a mastectomy,
including lymphedema. These
benefits are required by the
Women’s Health and Cancer
Rights Act of 1998.
Call Customer Service at
855-7MY-NMHC
(
855-769-6642
)
to learn more.
2
{ MY CONNECTION }
{ W E L L N E S S }