BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Kids of all ages happily lined up to have their faces painted, decorated with butterflies and spiders, as the older folks sat down for a 10-minute massage.
It was a day of relaxation and family fun, mixed in with important health information at the fourth annual Latino Health Summit and Adelante Health and Wellness Expo on Saturday.
The two-day engagement hosted by Latino Connection, in partnership with Aetna, was held at Wind Creek Bethlehem and began Friday.
Latino Connection is a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 to bridge the gap between the Latino community and health care, education and government services.
Self-care, manifesting your dreams
Dominican actress Julissa Calderon was among the guest speakers on Saturday afternoon.
Known for her roles on “With Love” and “Gentefied,” the starlet spoke about how she turned journaling into another form of self-care.
In 2020, she launched “The Dream and Manifest Journal” company in hopes of inspiring others to write down their thoughts as a form of self-care.
Calderon, who also led a panel discussion Friday, offered to take selfies with fans, many of whom expressed how sad they were that “Gentefied” was canceled by Netflix in 2021.
On the show, she played Jessika Castillo, a gay Latina activist involved in a relationship with Ana Morales (portrayed by Karrie Martin).
“As Brown and Black [-led shows], we often don't have the viewership. Even if it's not for your liking, turn it on and keep walking around the house, because that stream is helpful,” she said.
Kika Rocha, People en Español’s fashion and beauty director, also spoke on Saturday.
The Colombian journalist, author of “Tips de Kika,” gave a presentation on skin care in her native Spanish as volunteers handed out swag bags of beauty products she loves.
Surgical robots, bilingual health information
Inside another ballroom, crowds convened around vendor tables as part of the Adelante Health and Wellness Expo.
Representatives from local organizations such as Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley Health Network, and Penn State College of Medicine Department, spoke about their respective services such as affordable health care and cancer screenings, and medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and allergies.
Lehigh Valley Health Network's surgical robot, the Da Vinci 5, also made an appearance where people had a chance to sit down for a demo and try their luck at playing surgeon.
Across the way, Gina Villiotti Madison, of Pittsburgh, offered guests informative brochures on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which studies show affects 48% of Latinos.
Madison is the executive director of Nash kNOWledge, an organization founded in 2018 by her father, Tony Villiotti, and dedicated to spreading awareness about the disease, otherwise called NASH.
Because of the disease's prevalence among Latinos, the organization started offering health tips online and via Zoom in Spanish, including a laminated card that patients can take to their doctor's appointments.
“As we started a couple years in, we were seeing all these trends of the rise in obesity and diabetes and Latinos and then fatty liver disease. And we saw such a gap in information that the community needed,” Madison said.
“I can't even tell you how many people I talked to today that said, 'My doctor said I have a fatty liver,' and did not offer a treatment plan. And that's part of the problem is that the doctors aren't giving out any other information.”
A push for health care among Latinos
On Friday, politicians and other leaders spoke at the summit.
Among the guests were Kevin Lima, deputy director of the White House Initiative Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics; Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Pennsylvania secretary of the Department of Human Services and a former Montgomery County commissioner; and Dr. Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania acting secretary of the Department of Health.
Months away from the 2024 presidential election, Lima discussed President Joe Biden's plans on immigration reform, accessible health care, housing and access to transportation.
Members of the UnidosUS Action Fund, a national advocacy branch of UnidosUS, were also in attendance. The organization announced its National Health Care Latino Agenda for 2024 at the summit.
The group invited Latino politicians from the region including Cynthia Mota, president of Allentown City Council, state Rep. Danilo Burgos, D-Philadelphia, and state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Reading.
“Our question to them was, 'what is Pennsylvania government doing for Latinos?'” George Fernandez, founder of Latino Connection, said on Saturday.
"This is a Latino event produced by Latino employees for Latino community members. To do something of this caliber and this high energy, it is amazing."George Fernandez, founder Latino Connection
“The [panelists] discussed substance abuse, maternal child care, access as food, as medicine. For individuals that are living with diabetes and what they hope to be able to do, essentially over the next 12 to 18 months, to make these programs more readily accessible, predominantly also in Spanish.”
Fernandez said an estimated 1,200 people attended the two-day summit.
“As a product of a single mother of three, to connect the amazing mothers that were here yesterday and families to resources — even today it feels very rewarding for me," Fernandez said. "This is a Latino event produced by Latino employees for Latino community members. To do something of this caliber and this high energy, it is amazing.”
