Advancing Opportunities for Better Hispanic Health

Our nation is rooted in the promise of opportunity for all—including the opportunity for better health. As our population grows and transforms the fabric of our country, we continue to embrace the diversity and inclusion of all people who call America home. In every corner of this country there are powerful stories of those whose quest for improved health stands as a shining example of how opportunity can change lives.

Take for instance the story of a Latina from Houston who can rest easier about her family’s health thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Alicia represents the 4 million Hispanic adults who have gained coverage since October 2013. Alicia, a former teacher, did not have health insurance until the Health Insurance Marketplace opened. Now, she has experienced the relief that comes with coverage. For Alicia, the Affordable Care Act has brought an opportunity for greater peace of mind and better health outcomes.

Alicia also represents the changing demographics that are redefining our nation. By 2060, Hispanics will comprise 29% of the population compared to 17% today. This new reality presents us with new challenges and opportunities to embrace diversity. Our charge is not just to reduce inequity in health and health care, but to eliminate it. And that imperative has never been more urgent. What began 30 years ago as a clarion call with the landmark Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Health (Heckler Report) continues to ring true today: We must act swiftly to address the health inequity that continues to plague our country. And our nation has responded to meet the health needs of our Latino brothers and sisters.

The Surgeon General’s National Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative was launched in 1993 to address five crucial health objectives pertinent to the Hispanic/Latino population including improving access to health care for all, improving the collection of health data and increasing Hispanic/Latino representation in the science and health professions. In 2006, the National Institutes of Health initiated the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, a groundbreaking set of research that has expanded existing knowledge of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease in Hispanic/Latino adults. The study findings enable individuals, communities, scientists and health policy makers to tailor strategies to improve the health of all Hispanics.

This week, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released its Chartbook for Hispanic Health Care. It highlights the progress for Hispanics on priorities of the Heckler Report and summarizes trends in health care disparities by Hispanic ethnicity. In addition, it presents information specifically for residents of the U.S. –Mexico border.

And today we continue to advance data collection methods to gain greater insight into health care needs of Hispanics/Latinos. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, HHS adopted new data collection standards that help us better understand the causes of health disparities and develop effective interventions to address those disparities. HHS data standards now include additional granularity for Hispanic ethnicity which fosters a better understanding of the specific health needs within the diverse Hispanic/Latino community.

The new data standards also help us to develop more culturally and linguistically appropriate care and services, such as those being implemented by community health workers across the nation. The Office of Minority Health’s Promoting Healthy Choices and Community Changes: An E-learning Program for Promotores De Salud is an innovative approach to help strengthen the efforts of promotores de salud in responding to the health needs of their own communities. The e-learning program is a key component of the HHS Promotores de Salud Initiative that was launched in 2011 as part of the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, to recognize the important contributions of promotores de salud in reaching low-income, vulnerable members of Hispanic/Latino communities.

All of these pieces fit together and add up to an incredible moment of opportunity to achieve an America free of health and health care disparities. This Hispanic Heritage Month let us remember that with all of us working together, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential for health.

J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, is the Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and the Director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)