Grant helps Neighborhood Health Center expand Spanish interpreter services

RICHMOND, Ind. — Neighborhood Health Center is utilizing a grant to expand its Spanish-speaking medical interpretation services.

The $14,500 grant was received from the Wayne County Foundation and will impact the 10th Street Clinic, located on the corner of South A and South 10th streets, according to a news release. Wayne County Foundation funding in 2020 enabled Neighborhood Health Center to begin scheduling an translator certified in Spanish medical interpretation.

With the interpreter, the health center served 167 Latino patients during 2021 with 90% of those qualifying for reduced fees based on the center's sliding payment scale, the release said. The program's success prompted the center to try and expand the program with a 2022 goal of serving 300 patients who identify Spanish as their primary language.

“We are so thankful and blessed for the grant funding and we couldn’t have done it without the support of Wayne County Foundation," said Carrie Miles, CEO of Neighborhood Health Center. "We are thrilled with the impact on our patients’ lives and know this is only the beginning. To me, one of the neatest aspects of this program was working with other area organizations and seeing how local funding can be magnified if we work collectively.”

Pamela Zelaya, a Communities in Schools liaison who works with Latino families, is the program's interpreter. The center has also hired a full-time registered nurse to assist the translator. 

“Pam is the perfect bridge for families, and she alleviates a lot of their fears with accessing care," Miles said. "Her ability to make a connection and build relationships with new families has improved their trust in obtaining healthcare at our clinic.” 

Earlham College students have helped the program connect with community members at various events, and the college has begun a program to train students as medical interpreters. Students translated documents, forms, educational material and patient pamphlets into Spanish and published a bilingual newsletter. 

Neighborhood Health Center has expanded outreach by participating in community events, increasing its social media presence, creating a new website that includes English and Spanish and collaborating with community organizations, health fairs and mobile health services.

In May, the center worked with the local Amigos program to bring provide mobile mammogram services, and it hosted a health fair. The center is recruiting bilingual staff members to sustain service to Spanish-speaking community members.

“NHC is working with Amigos to connect with middle and high school students to promote and assist students with health care careers in our community," said Carol Oliver, the center's chief human resources officer. "We are also actively engaging with area high schools and colleges for student interns and making connections at various community career fairs with hopes to recruit great students early and keep them living and working in our community. Being involved in the Forward Wayne County Employability Coalition is bringing the right people together to create a system to improve workforce.”

Forward Wayne County is part of the Wayne County Foundation, which has existed since 1979. The foundation fosters and encourages private philanthropic giving to enhance quality of life in Wayne County.

“There remains a tremendous need and it has taken a lot of time to get things moving but we are heading in the right direction, and we have the right people engaged," Miles said. "The partnership with Wayne County Foundation is an amazing blessing and we are proud and honored to be trusted with grant funding for this program.”