Empowering Perinatal Care for Immigrant Communities – Global Communities’ Healthy Start Program

“Technology can be an extremely empowering tool for nonprofit programs.” – Lisa Bain, Director of US & Border Programs at Global Communities. 

Global Communities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable populations, implements the Healthy Start San Diego program to address disparities in perinatal care among Black families and immigrants in San Diego County. The program’s unique approach combines health education, home-based visits, and community partnerships to ensure every child receives a strong start in life. Leveraging Salesforce’s platform, combined with Exponent Partners’ case management solution, Healthy Start San Diego was able to revolutionize its data management, reporting, and service delivery capabilities. This case study highlights the challenges faced by Global Communities, the transformative impact of Salesforce and Exponent Case Management (ECM), and the program’s remarkable outcomes in serving immigrant communities.

Challenges:

Before adopting Salesforce and ECM, the Healthy Start San Diego program grappled with significant reporting limitations, leading to excessive reliance on consultants from their existing database company for customized reports. This constraint not only incurred extra costs but also hindered the program’s ability to define data metrics according to their specific needs. Additionally, the relational aspect of case management proved challenging in previous systems, affecting data integration and report generation.

Choosing Exponent Partners for Transformation:

Recognizing technology’s transformative potential, the Healthy Start San Diego project staff sought support from its headquarters to surmount the challenges they were facing. The monitoring and evaluation team played a pivotal role, collaborating with IT experts to shape a comprehensive Request for Proposal. This partnership extended beyond conventional avenues, guided by insights from various specialists and leading to fruitful interactions with diverse stakeholders. Ultimately, this approach brought Healthy Start San Diego to the doorstep of Exponent Partners. By adopting Exponent Partners’ case management solution, Healthy Start San Diego capitalized on a pivotal opportunity to amplify their efforts and streamline operations. This partnership, combined with Salesforce’s robust platform, served as a catalyst for Healthy Start San Diego’s evolution, addressing challenges and embracing possibilities with unwavering dedication.

Empowerment through Customized Dashboards:

With Salesforce and ECM’s implementation, the team overcame its reporting challenges. The ability to create customized dashboards became a game-changer. Initially, the team developed a team dashboard to track enrollment goals, preventative care visits, and other key indicators. This empowerment democratized project success, making every team member accountable and invested in the program’s achievements. Over time, they expanded to dynamic custom dashboards, providing individual users with insights into their specific clients’ progress.

Addressing Disparities with Data-Driven Insights:

The use of a robust system like Salesforce and ECM, allowed the Healthy Start San Diego program to address disparities effectively. For instance, when the program identified a gap in literacy promotion activities among immigrant families, data analysis revealed that first-generation immigrants faced challenges due to language barriers and cultural norms. This insight led to targeted interventions, such as providing books in multiple languages and expanding the definition of literacy promotion to include singing and teaching new words. The data-driven approach resulted in a significant increase in literacy promotion activities among immigrant families.

Impact on Participants and Staff:

The impact of the Healthy Start San Diego program is evident in both participant engagement and staff efficiency. The program’s participant engagement strategies, coupled with word-of-mouth referrals and partner collaborations, have driven enrollment. The staff’s diligent efforts have led to a seamless transition for participants, making the program accessible and valuable to immigrant communities and beyond. The integration of Salesforce and ECM streamlined administrative tasks, enabling staff to allocate more time to direct service provision.

Capturing Immigrant Information:

Healthy Start San Diego’s commitment to immigrant communities is manifested in its approach to capturing relevant information. While participants’ immigration status is not a primary focus, the program tracks language preferences, generational immigrant status, and demographic data. These insights help tailor services and interventions while providing meaning in data analysis and reporting, allowing the program to understand the unique strengths and needs of diverse communities, including refugees and asylum seekers. As one example, database documentation of referrals of Haitian Creole-speaking clients resulted in the program advocating to train and hire native Haitian Creole-speaking staff, and ultimately become the primary provider of family support services to this community in San Diego.

Conclusion:

The Global Communities’ Healthy Start program demonstrates the power of technology, data analysis, and community-centered approaches in improving the lives of vulnerable populations, particularly immigrants. The combination of Salesforce and ECM empowered the program to overcome reporting limitations, address disparities, and efficiently manage participant data. By providing customized dashboards, targeted interventions, and data-driven insights, Healthy Start San Diego has created a transformative model that not only elevates perinatal care but also champions equity and inclusivity in healthcare delivery.

Through the case study of Healthy Start San Diego’s journey, it becomes evident that investing in technology and tailored solutions can have far-reaching effects on nonprofit programs. As Healthy Start San Diego continues to evolve and expand its reach, its experiences underscore the significance of adapting technology to meet the unique needs of diverse communities and fostering partnerships that amplify impact. If you would like to learn more about how Exponent Partners works with nonprofits serving immigration and refugee populations, please contact us for a free consultation.