Strategy: Targeting nail salons to develop new and strong relationships with the Vietnamese community to raise awareness among the population about affordable healthcare options.
Where and when it was used: Thu Pham, a Vietnamese navigator for Center For Family Services' Navigator Exchange Program, traveled to a variety of nail salons in South Jersey as part of her outreach efforts.
Best practices to replicate: 
- While visiting nail salons, it’s helpful to have language-specific written materials about how to receive enrollment assistance for health insurance.
- It’s more effective to speak to both the staff and customers together about Affordable Health Care and the healthcare enrollment services available to them within their area. This creates an open conversation between staff and customers about health insurance.
- When explaining options for healthcare enrollment assistance, take a moment to thoroughly explain the benefits of having health insurance and the importance of overall good health. This may help some consumers become more attentive to hear about the services being offered if they are uninsured.
How it worked:
Center For Family Services, a human services non-profit organization in Camden, New Jersey operates the Navigator Exchange Program, a service that helps those without health insurance to navigate their way through the Health Insurance Marketplace and NJ Family Care. As part of their continued efforts to help underserved populations, including the Vietnamese community, one of the only Vietnamese navigators in the country, Thu Pham, has shared information with dozens of nail salons throughout Camden, Burlington and Atlantic Counties in South Jersey.
Pham has had success with the nail salons in the area and as a direct result of her efforts, she has enrolled more than 50 individuals into health insurance plans. She has also made connections with Vietnamese churches and community organizations through some of her conversations with consumers at nail salons. Having a diverse navigator team helps to strengthen trust and comfortability within different communities.
“Many of the nail technicians in the nail salon fall into the low-income category, so they do not know that they are eligible for health insurance,” says Pham, who stresses the importance of explaining the many benefits of health insurance and the eligibility information with those in the nail salon. Pham makes sure to let the nail salon staff know when she will be in the area at a local library or community center, so that they can easily make appointments on the days when a navigator is nearby. Some of the nail salon employees have a limited English vocabulary and could be new to the country, so Pham is a valuable resource within the Vietnamese community as a healthcare navigator.
What do you think is the most important piece of information to share when conducting outreach at nail salons?
Distributing language-specific brochures and flyers is a critical part of the outreach process at nail salons. Paperwork is more visual and nail salon employees can easily see what number to call to make an appointment for healthcare. Pham also shares her business card, so that people can reach her directly to speak with her in Vietnamese.
This post was written by Jenise Rolle, Outreach Coordinator, The Navigator Exchange Program Center For Family Services.
