Abstracts

Rationale: A partnership with a non-governmental organization such as the non-profit, Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas (EFCST) and a governmental organization such as the Univ of TX Health Science Center s Dept of Neurology South TX Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (STCEC) has mutually beneficial results for both entities. For the STCEC, collaboration may result in direct applicability of new research approaches as well as collaboration with a grassroots organization that has relationships with epilepsy communities in Central and South TX. For the purpose of this presentation, grassroots is defined as an organization reflecting the voices and needs of the people served and which is largely led by these constituencies. Grassroots entities are responsive to the community because of their ability to integrate into the community, developing an emic perspective for best practices. In turn, collaboration with the experts at the STCEC inspires innovations and new developments for EFCST, and provides access to medical expertise. The connection to new knowledge, expertise, research, and developments are invaluable to EFCST. This partnership maintains working relationships with two important epilepsy community organizations, as well as capitalizes on collaborations that have facilitated serving a hard-to-reach population such as the South TX Rio Grande Valley Region (RGV). A primary collaborative effort between both organizations is operating a mobile epilepsy clinic. EFCST in collaboration with STCEC provides services to 1,230 patients per year at the South TX Border - Rio Grande Valley clinics. In the RGV area the population is 89% Hispanic of which 82% primary language is Spanish. Of the population of over 900,000, almost forty percent live in poverty. The clinic patients are 95% Hispanic and primarily monolingual in Spanish. The majority of the clinic patients (90%) are uninsured. During a 9 month period this partnership provided 428 diagnostic laboratory tests and referred 20 candidates to STCEC for surgery. In addition 238 patients were enrolled in medication assistance programs and 2000 patients were referred for other services. The approximate monthly savings for all clinic patients is estimated at $49,471.89. Methods: Building on this partnership, a proposed collaborative research effort will test programmatic and educational solutions to mental health disparities among Hispanics with epilepsy in the RGV area. Results: A psychiatric comorbid condition that often occurs with epilepsy is depression, as well as other serious mental health conditions (Zeber, Copeland, Aumuan, Cramer, & Pugh, 2007). In the Valley this susceptibility is compounded by the need for linguistically and culturally appropriate services and bridging the many barriers to care. Conclusions: The collaboration between EFCST and STCEC facilitates integrating health strategies to address the needs of patients based on empirical research and best practices. This presentation will provide an overview of the on-going research and the systemic processes of the partnership resulting in mutual benefit to the partners and patients.