The Ketchikan Wellness Coalition has been awarded a grant to expand health advocacy for Filipino families in Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales Island.
The initiative is called Malasakit Matters. Malasakit is a Tagalog concept that means to have deep compassion and ownership for someone else’s wellbeing. The program is aimed at training Filipino youth to support and advocate for their family members.
“It’s a family-centered approach to care, so everyone’s on the same page of understanding how to care for an elder or a loved one,” said Alma Manabat Parker, Director of Health Equity programming with the Ketchikan Wellness Coalition.
Parker said it’s common for Filipino families to join each other at loved ones doctor’s appointments. By hiring Community Health Workers to help youth understand the healthcare system, Parker said it will hopefully bridge gaps in communication and access to culturally familiar care.
The goal isn’t to replace clinicians, but to strengthen the important role that family members already play in navigating the healthcare system. That can include finding a doctor, scheduling follow-up appointments, or applying for insurance.
“I mean, for the person who grew up in the United States, this could be very complicated as is,” Parker said.” But imagine maybe an immigrant family who’s new, or a family that just doesn’t utilize wellness opportunities or wellness appointments, and instead just only go to the doctor when it becomes an emergency.”
Malasakit Matters is targeted for youth in middle and high schools. The goal is to train at least 30 youth health advocates in the first year.
The $350,000 grant comes from the Rural Health Transformation Fund Program, a federal initiative that provided nearly $275 million to the Alaska Department of Health. Malasakit Matters is just one of nearly 250 projects across the state that have been funded through the initiative this year. Right now, it’s only funded until next June but there is a possibility that funding could be renewed for up to five years.
The first year of the program is focused on hiring Community Health Workers in Craig and in Ketchikan. After that, the plan is to build a storytelling archive to preserve community knowledge and inform healthcare providers and future generations.
Parker said the storytelling aspect is crucial in building knowledge and trust.
“Sometimes you don’t need formal university training to understand health needs,” Parker said. “The stories of people impacted by lack of care or being underinsured are where you can learn the most.”
Parker said she isn’t aware of any existing program like Malasakit Matters. She hopes it will serve as a model for rural communities across the state.
