It all started with one question: how can we support more pediatric health visits among Latine community members?
Back in 2024, the Population Health team at San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP) was trying to find ways to answer this very question.
That’s when Edgar Rodriguez, Associate Program Manager at SFHP, reached out to the Central American Resource Center of San Francisco (CARECEN SF).
Partnering with CARECEN SF
CARECEN SF empowers and advocates for Latine immigrants in SF, with services spanning immigration legal support to youth leadership training. But that’s not all.
Through their promotoras de salud model (health promoters), CARECEN SF also addresses health disparities. Promotoras are trained community members who excel at deep relationship-building, peer-to-peer health education, and outreach.
With a partnership a year in the making, CARECEN SF and SFHP came together in June of 2025 to offer an online health workshop series for pregnant and postpartum Latine moms – all of whom were also SFHP members.
Creating a Safe & Supportive Space
The four-part workshop series covered everything from SFHP benefits to the importance of well-child visits, developmental screenings, and more. Promotoras were an integral part of the process, tailoring workshop content to be culturally responsive, engaging, and fun.
“Because we understand the cultures where our communities come from, we know what is and isn’t a cultural norm,” shared Vanessa Bohm, Director of Family Wellness and Health Promotion Programs at CARECEN. So with health advice or education, “we can acknowledge the differences, and brainstorm [solutions].”
This cultural expertise is especially important to bridge the gap between health institutions and community members, creating comfort and safety for participants.
“We really got to more deep questions towards the end. That’s when I saw more people who were able to open up, and share their concerns or questions about their baby,” said Edgar.
Building Advocacy and Access through Education
While participants did learn a lot about pediatric health, the workshops went beyond knowledge sharing. As Vanessa told us: “What we’ve noticed is these workshops help build participants’ confidence. It helps them have an easier time expressing and advocating for themselves – and that is critical.”
And, by placing an emphasis on available SFHP services, the workshops also created greater access for members.
“One of the members shared that she didn’t know about SFHP’s transportation services,” said Edgar, noting a comment from a post-workshop focus group. “Now, she schedules a ride for all her appointments – that was amazing to hear.”
The Power of Community Partners
With the workshop series now successfully concluded, one thing is clear: organizations like CARECEN are key to improving health and wellness outcomes for our communities.
“We are known in the community, so it’s easier for [CARECEN SF] to build deeper relationships with community members,” shared Vanessa. “We’ve worked very hard to build that trust. Now, we are able to create spaces where community members feel safe, cared for, and have access to information they don’t normally have access to.”
At SFHP, we strive to uplift the health and well-being of all San Franciscans. We can’t do it without trusted partners like CARECEN SF. By pooling resources, expertise and strengths, we’re able to better meet the needs of our community – together.
