Progreso Latino launches wellness program

Progreso Latino last Thursday graduated 11 “Blue Health Angels” who were trained through an outreach program from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island to work in a new wellness center aimed at addressing health disparities in the community.
The “Angels” were all recruited from the community and will assist people with health screenings, involve them in exercise classes, host educational workshops, provide referrals and help them apply for medical insurance and free or low-cost medical services.
It is anticipated that 340 people will participate in at least one event, session or screening through the program, which will target Latinos in the area. The focus is on addressing risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and other diseases that can be identified earlier or prevented entirely.
In addition, the wellness center will provide information and education on topics such as HIV prevention, cancer, domestic violence, women’s health issues and substance abuse.
Based in Central Falls, Progreso Latino calls itself an “empowerment agency” and is the largest bilingual, multicultural community-based agency in the state. For more information, go to www.progresolatino.org.
For more information about the BlueAngel Community Health Grants, one of which supported the initiative, go to www.bcbsri.com.