Living in a country with a different culture and language than what you have grown up with can be a daily struggle.

Imagine getting sick and not knowing if you can go to the doctor or what will happen when you get there.

The Latino community in West Michigan faces many uncertainties, but some of the largest are the challenges brought on by the health care system, said Zulema Moret, director of Latin American studies at Grand Valley State University.

To educate Latinos on what resources are available to them, and to educate the rest of the GVSU community on the plight of its neighbors, “Latin@s Health Services” is on Tuesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Cook-DeWitt Center on GVSU’s Allendale Campus.

“It is very important to know what, at a local level, is happening and the different agencies working with the Latino community in health issues,” Moret said. “It is also important to know what is happening in everyday life, not only through surveys.”

“Latin@s Health Services,” presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, will include three panelists from the Grand Rapids health community. Maria Cruz-Delgado is from Programa Puente, run through Spectrum Health.

Cruz-Delgado said she developed the program in 2000 to help Spanish-speaking immigrants understand and access health care.

Programa Puente helps with interpretation, transportation, job searching and sharing information about eating well and staying physically fit.

“We will help them as well as their whole family,” Cruz-Delgado said.

The other two panelists are Dr. Jorge Larry and Adriana Petersen, both from Metro Health Hospital.

“The point is to provide information on resources available to the Latino community about health services in regards to the costs, and how people would be covered for health insurance if they are uninsured,” said Danny Ha, OMA program coordinator.

The panelists will address misconceptions about and resources for Latinos as well as undocumented immigrants.

Later, Cruz-Delgado, Peterson and Larry will take audience questions.

“It doesn’t matter what career you may take, sooner or later you’re going to encounter people who are Latino,” Cruz-Delgado said. “The Latino community’s growing… I think it’s important for people to understand what the Latino community’s all about.”

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/oma.

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