Healthcare disparities in Hispanic communities involve language, culture, economic, and geographic factors. Addressing these disparities requires a comprehensive approach involving community health initiatives, policy advocacy, and tailored healthcare services. - BY Simone Summers

Tackling healthcare disparities in Hispanic communities requires addressing the social determinants that influence healthcare access. Socioeconomic factors, cultural differences, language barriers, lack of health insurance, and geographic barriers exist in rural and underserved urban areas. Successful healthcare advocacy efforts and initiatives addressing the lack of healthcare access for Hispanics are working to bridge the gap in healthcare services delivery to Hispanic communities by addressing the root causes.

So Many Challenges

There are some very broad challenges to improving healthcare delivery to Hispanics, Latinos, and those who have an ethnic heritage from a Spanish-speaking country (all called Hispanics for purposes of discussion). One is that this population is approximately 19% of the population, per the U.S. Census, and is expected to double over the next 40 years. Yet, less than 10% of all healthcare workers are Hispanic.

Many Hispanic Americans have no or poor access to healthcare. Even when they do gain access, there are barriers like language and a lack of health insurance. A large number of Hispanics work in jobs that do not provide health insurance and live in poverty. They cannot get preventive healthcare services or help managing preexisting health conditions.

Hispanics have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes, but are the least likely group to seek medical care. The severe shortage of healthcare workers who speak Spanish and understand the culture discourages individuals from getting help. There is an urgent need for more bilingual physicians and healthcare workers, especially considering that almost 70% speak Spanish at home.

Pila Ortega, MD, is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. She makes a critical point about what is needed to close the gap in Hispanic healthcare. “With all the complexity of this issue, it’s not enough to tackle this just from the educational angle, it’s not enough just to do policy, it’s not enough to do research alone. It’s multidimensional.”

Closing the Gap Through Different Paths

This need for a coordinated, multidimensional approach explains the persistence of the gap in healthcare for Hispanics. However, many excellent initiatives address these issues and advocate for improved healthcare.

For example, the American Heart Association’s National Hispanic Latino Cardiovascular Collaborative Scholars Program provides mentorship and professional development opportunities to foster the next generation of Hispanic and Latino researchers and healthcare leaders. This program unites Hispanic Latino volunteers, professional staff, and allies to bridge the gap in healthcare disparities. The Collaborative gives voice to the healthcare needs of Hispanics at the American Heart Association. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) developed the Latinos Living Healthy initiative with three goals. One is to educate and increase awareness of health issues within the Latino community. The second is to distribute resources and information and the third is to engage community partners to create local ambassadors to address the needs of various regions better. This initiative has numerous programs, like the All of Us Research Program, funded by the National Institute of Health, to increase Hispanic representation in health research.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), also known as Community Health Centers, receive funding to deliver comprehensive care to underinsured, uninsured, and vulnerable patients. There is evidence they increase primary care access and improve health outcomes for people with low incomes who are without health insurance and are people of color. There are over 15,000 service sites in the U.S. and territories, and in 2022, they served more than 30.5 million patients, with 63% from racial and ethnic minority groups.

The federal government also funds the Migrant Health Program, which supports health centers nationwide that deliver healthcare to 800,000 farmworkers and their families. The health centers are mostly private, nonprofit corporations owned and operated by community-based organizations, with the rest operated by state and local health departments. The health centers give rural migratory and seasonal farmworkers vouchers to obtain healthcare services from local providers or directly serve patients in high-migrant impact areas.

More Approaches to Closing the Healthcare Gap

Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin offer innovative health services throughout Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Washington Counties. One example is a project to design a mobile health clinic addressing women’s health. A multi-disciplinary approach engaged students in engineering, nursing, medical, art, and design to create an innovative mobile clinic that is the model of efficiency and utility. The first mobile units, deployed in late 2023 as prototypes, serve Black and Latino women in Milwaukee’s northwest and south neighborhoods.

MHP Salud’s Community Health Workers provide case management and health education to underserved people, offering referrals for food assistance, medical services, and mental health services. They also help people complete applications for health and social benefits. This successful program engages local individuals because they are in the area and best able to gain the trust of community members.

CVS is one of the founding corporate partners of the National Hispanic Pharmacists Association (NHPA) under the National Hispanic Health Foundation. The NHPA offers scholarships and grant programs to Hispanic students who want to become pharmacists. The organization also educates current pharmacists on culture, language, and health disparities.

Learning From the Past for a Better Future

Beyond these examples lie the numerous initiatives led by nonprofits, corporations, and government entities focused on closing the healthcare gaps. For example, the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), Latino Health Access, and Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN) are pursuing health equity for the Hispanic population. The nationwide effort accelerated when Hispanic communities were disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Advocacy groups and healthcare providers launched targeted outreach campaigns to increase vaccination rates, including providing information in Spanish, hosting vaccination events in Hispanic neighborhoods, and utilizing promotoras to build trust. During the global health crisis, focused efforts on outreach, vaccination, and telehealth have been crucial in supporting Hispanic communities. It was a learning experience that continues to guide the national effort to improve Hispanic healthcare access and outcomes.