Cora, an experiential healthy mobile units initiative, is a great example of community engagement and equity that started in 2018 when healthcare company Aetna contracted Latino Connection to help reach their members, prospective members, and community members, wherever they may be found. A task like this literally meant putting wheels in motion to take health and wellness resources anywhere across the nation and that is what we did.
Cora is short for “corazón”, which means heart in Spanish, and to this day, this wellness on wheels initiative has indeed become the heart and soul of many communities, with a holistic approach to wellness and an unwavering commitment to advancing health equity for all.
Objectives
Aetna’s goals were to meet current and potential members where they are and:
- Educate them about their benefits
- Empower them to advocate for and take control of their health
- Identify together ways to live healthier lives
- Offer vital health screenings free of charge (BMI, blood pressure, glucose, HIV, flu shots, etc…)
- Attend health workshops, engage with providers and community organizations, utilize resources such as hotlines and MediTrackers
What We Did
Latino Connection first purchased, and leased one mobile experiential unit to Aetna. Over the years, this fleet has grown from one unit to 5 RV units and 3 Minivans, all providing vital services directly to underserved communities, and fostering a culture of wellness and prevention.
All unit’s interiors were designed and included four smart high-definition televisions, a Nintendo™ Switch Dance area, Smoothie Bar, Virtual Reality Headsets, iPads, and a private meeting space. The units are exclusive to clients and wrapped with their brand for maximum exposure. Cora units are also equipped with a InBody machine that measures height, weight, BMI, and body fat percentage in under one minute.
In addition to the Account Executives and Project Managers pulling the strings on a strategic level, Latino Connection also built a team to run Cora on-site that consisted of a driver, a Serv-Safe Coordinator to handle the smoothie bar, and Bilingual Community Outreach Specialists who were all trained by the Aetna Community Development Team on the in’s and out’s of Aetna’s products, their expectations and the rules around functions that revolve around all health plans. Latino Connection has identified over 400 events across the nation from 2018 to 2024, to leverage Aetna’s exposure. Latino Connection handles all event registration and logistics, adjusting to different community members and environments (outdoor, indoor, park, track, city street or festival).
How We Helped
With Cora at events, Latino Connection has helped prospective members of the community with:
- Preventive care: The following types of health screenings and resources are focused on closing access and quality gaps
- Weight Assessment & Counseling for Nutrition for Children and Adolescents (WCC)
- Childhood Immunizations Status (CIS)
- Lead Screening in Children (LIC)
- Controlling High Blood Pressure (CBP)
- Child and Adolescent Well Care Visits (W30, WCV)
- Flu Vaccinations (FVA, FVO)
- Prenatal Depression Screening and Follow Up (PND-E)
- Medical Assistance with Smoking and Tobacco Use Cessation (MCS)
- Chlamydia Screening in Women (CHL)
- Colorectal Cancer Screening (COL)
- Promoting healthy habits: Offering members an opportunity to taste a healthy but tasty smoothie to help them better understand how to incorporate better habits in their daily life.
- Exercise: Having members participate in entertaining games such as Just Dance, Virtual Reality Goggles, Jumbo Connect Four, Checkers, Healthy Jumbo Jenga and much more, to show them the importance of moving their bodies in any way they like.
- Community engagement and support: Offering opportunity cards to participants that were not Aetna members for them to call and inquire about benefits.
- Health education and empowerment: Increasing health literacy and awareness to help community members make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
Results
- Latino Connection developed Cora toolkits and additional marketing assets to promote the initiative.
- Cora has improved access to healthcare services for members, prospective members, and community members who may face barriers to accessing traditional healthcare settings.
- Latino Connection has increased Aetna’s market share in low-income communities across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and North Carolina. Additionally, Cora extended its reach to states such as New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and New York, further expanding its impact and accessibility to diverse populations across the nation.
- Latino Connection has ultimately pushed new enrollments to Aetna’s healthcare platforms.
- With Cora being such a visible mobile unit, Latino Connection has attained over 10 million impressions while just being on the road.
- Cora has impacted the lives of over 80,000 people at minimum across nine states.
- Latino Connection has increased Aetna’s community presence and visibility statewide.
- Latino Connection has provided service and assistance to its Spanish-speaking members
Since its inception, Cora has exemplified a commitment to breaking down barriers to healthcare access, providing vital services directly to underserved communities, and fostering a culture of wellness and prevention. Through its innovative mobile units equipped with state-of-the-art resources and staffed by compassionate professionals, Cora has become synonymous with community empowerment and holistic healthcare delivery.
