Iniciativa de Promotores de Salud
Community Health Worker’s Initiative
Iniciativa de Promotores de Salud
Community Health Worker’s Initiative
The Illinois Unidos Promotores de Salud Committee
The Illinois Unidos Promotores de Salud Committee provides a space for promotores to meet on a monthly basis to receive current health education information, participate in professional development and capacity building sessions, and share resources. Our meetings focus on providing important current updates on COVID-19 that impact the Latino community. Each meeting offers new training opportunities on a topic that supports promotores from our partner agencies to acquire new skills, build on existing knowledge, and gain relevant information to support the communities we serve. Join us every second Friday of the month at 3 pm CST. Please contact us at [email protected]
Meet our Committee Co-chairs
Pamela Vergara Rodriguez, MD
Dr. Pamela Vergara-Rodriguez is a triple board certified physician in internal medicine, psychiatry and addiction medicine who has worked to serve the latino population of Chicago for the last 20 years. She is an advocate for HIV, LGTBQ and mental healthcare and the Latino community. Her research focuses on substance use disorders, mental health and HIV.
Lisa Aponte-Soto, PhD, MHA
Dr. Lisa Aponte-Soto is the Illinois Unidos director of community engagement for resource and capacity building. She earned her PhD in Behavioral Science from the Division of Community Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. She holds a Master of Health Administration and Policy from Governors State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language, Literature, and Translation from Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Aponte-Soto is an independent consultant who advocates for health, education, and workforce equity through research, evaluation, and capacity building. Her research focuses on addressing health inequities in Latina/o/x communities.
Our work within Illinois Unidos
The Illinois Unidos is a community-driven and community-center model that brings together a cadre of over 100 diverse community stakeholders to promote equitable access, policies, and practices in the Latinx community in the state of Illinois.
Our initiatives stem from addressing persistent inequalities that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and intersect with structural and systemic racism. We develop and disseminate timely culturally and linguistically appropriate educational information that is available in both English and Spanish. We work closely with community-based organizations and community health workers to provide direct support, relief, and resources to the Latinx community.
We hold a family-centered approach echoed by our motto “Mi Familia Mi Vida”. It is our belief that our community is our family.
Staff support:
- Lisa Aponte-Soto, PhD, MHA – Director of Community Engagement for Resource and Capacity Building
- Javier Arrellano
- Keyla Ferretiz
Mini-Grant Community Funding Support:
The Illinois Unidos Promotores de Salud Committee provides a space for promotores to meet on a monthly basis to receive current health education information, participate in professional development and capacity building sessions, and share resources. Our meetings focus on providing important current updates on COVID-19 that impact the Latino community. Each meeting offers new training opportunities on a topic that supports promotores from our partner agencies to acquire new skills, build on existing knowledge, and gain relevant information to support the communities we serve. Join us every second Friday of the month at 3 pm CST.
Illinois Unidos Call Center|Centro de Llamadas
COMING SOON
The Illinois Unidos Call Center will navigate community members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to essential culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate community resources to support quality health and well-being. The Call Center staff will respond to calls and requests from community members and community partners regarding resources and support to address the needs of Latinx and underserved communities in the state of Illinois. The Call Center will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm. For more information, contact us at [email protected].
ILLInet-RECOVER Study | Estudio de Recuperación
ILLInet-RECOVER Research Project is an NIH-funded research study being led by the University of Illinois at Chicago. The study aims to recruit and enroll community members to participate in clinical testing and surveys to uncover and mitigate the long-term effects of COVID-19. Illinois Unidos is a thought partner and recruitment hub for the RECOVER study. Illinois Unidos is conducting community outreach to recruit and enroll eligible community members to participate in this study about the long-term health impact of COVID-19. Eligible participants must be at least 18 years of old, have tested positive for COVID-19 or have never tested positive for COVID-19. For more information, contact us at [email protected].
