Moving Forward

A spotlight on organizations that are making significant steps to reduce health disparities in our communities. Each month we feature an organization or individual that is making a measurable difference reducing health disparities among the people they serve. Commitment, dedication, and action: Moving Forward.

Effective Outreach and Health Connections

Since 2004, Sara Khalfa is an integral part of the outreach office of Southside Community Health Services. In that time she has been able to follow her passions of HIV/AIDS education and awareness while developing a new found passion for physical activity and nutritional programming. Southside's outreach office has transitioned to Q Health Connections. Their mission is to actively identify community health needs and develop strategic and proactive initiatives to improve health literacy and the overall health and wellness of the community.

An active participant in National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) since 2004, Sara serves as the state's planning chairperson for NLAAD activities and has supported the move to expand NLAAD beyond just one day to the entire month of October. "Some of the most rewarding moments from these outreach events has been sitting with young people and having the opportunity to connect and educate them about the spread of HIV and their risk."

Sara is a vital member of the Step to It Southside Minneapolis walking group. Challenge-seeking participants led to the Step to It Challenge, designed to get walkers in the various walking clubs around the city to learn about each other and start walking more. "As a result we had two more Challenges and reached over 1,500 people with a message of healthy eating, increased activity and the fun they can have being healthy."

One of the many results of moving forward involves a woman who joined the group at the end of September 2006 and by her enjoyment of walking, began looking to increase her activity. "She thought nothing of walking four miles to see a friend she met through the program." Soon, this participant began to log more than 15 miles a day, resulting in a 30-pound weight loss and reduction of her blood pressure. The weight loss also had a dramatic impact on her diabetes and she was taken off two of her medications and the third was reduced to the lowest possible dosage. "It's seeing results like that which make doing this work so rewarding. It's exciting to see participants take charge of their health and make positive choices for themselves."