We were lucky to catch up with Maria Sanchez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maria, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Taking a risk by accepting the challenge of being the Mexican Consulate Health Window Coordinator because this is a program that covers the two states of North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Health Window program focus in health promotion, disease prevention, education and empowers our community of immigrants how to navigate the healthcare system of America, learn about the low cost health resources in their counties so they can take control of their health and learn how to manage or prevent chronic health conditions so they can have better lives

One of the biggest challenges is finding the free health screenings and vaccines for our community, meet the demand and making new alliances or partnerships with health agencies that are willing to support this program

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

In 2019 I joined the staff at El Centro Hispano as the Outreach Coordinator with a research study about stress and resiliency amongst Latinxs immigrants(SER HISPANO) with Duke University, Today I’m the coordinator of health promotion at the Consulate General of Mexico Health Window and coordinates El Centro Hispano Health Mobile Unit to help immigrants navigate the the healthcare system in America, empower them with education about how to better care for their health and wellbeing, and give them direct access to free health screenings by organizing or participating in a lot of community events and health fairs with partner agencies and mind like individuals that have the same goal: to serve the underserved communities in our states on North and South Carolina

More People Served
Under my leadership, the Health Window of the Consulate of Mexico has ensured constant services, including glucose checks almost daily. She has established partnerships with UNC Healthcare and UNC school of Nursing and also resumed partnership with Duke after the pandemic. Furthermore, María has expanded the range of services available almost daily to the public. “What I do is coordinate and make alliances with health agencies, that’s what I do; and as a result, the Health Window -Ventanilla de Salud- at the Consulate of Mexico has flourished,” and the numbers confirm it. From 2018 to 2023 the number of patients utilizing the Ventanilla de Salud has increased 236%, from 4,122 to 9,738.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Vocation of service

Learn and know my audience before start any project

Listen to the needs of the community that we serve

How to make and keep strategic alliances

Teamwork and coordination

Do everything with heart

Keep dreaming of a better future and never give up

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Yes!!!

I’m very happy with my current role because it allows me to serve a large community of underserve people that really need a bit of empathy and love to better care for themselves and their families

I’m so proud to work for an agency and coordinate a program that is a beacon of hope for our community and where everyone is welcome regardless of anything and I hope to keep closing the gap and advocate more for the community so everyone can have access to health equity

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elcentronc.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014659207816
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-sanchez-2b4875232/
• Twitter: https://x.com/MariaSa32715684
• Other: https://elcentronc.org/el-centro-hispano/maria-sanchez-in-the-spotlight/

  https://www.bluecrossnc.com/blog/healthy-communities/our-communities/hispanic-community-care

  https://shoutoutnorthcarolina.com/meet-maria-sanchez-health-promotion-coordinator-of-the-mexican-consulate-health-window-mobile-health-unit/

Image Credits

Image credits of Maria Sanchez