NEW YORK CITY, April 8– The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) in partnership with the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), hosted a briefing for New York Hispanic policy and clinical recommendations for action from three summits in New York, California, and Texas held by the NHMA over the past three months on health disparities in Hispanic and underserved populations. In attendance at NYAM were such guests as the Honorable Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, Chairman of the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities, and the Honorable Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators. The speakers were Jo Ivey Boufford, MD, NYAM President, Susana Morales, MD of Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Medicine, and Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, President and CEO of NHMA.
American Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in the US and in 2050, it is predicted that around 50% of the American population will be of a bicultural group. In 2000, 27 percent of the population in New York City was Hispanic, the largest ethnic group in the city. “The non-elderly population in New York City is more racially and ethnically diverse than the non-elderly population anywhere else in the state and on the national level,” said Dr. Morales.
Dr. Rios’s presentation showed that most of the problems lie with disparities in healthcare and the need for cultural, language, and educational services. Today one third of Hispanics lack health insurance. “The health care system lacks Hispanic researchers, providers and leaders in public and private agencies,” said Dr. Rios. “The new America will consist of populations who face severe lack of access to healthcare, lack of trust and knowledge, and are low-income. They will have strong cultural and family values but will risk being poorly educated with limited English proficiency. Most will live in urban areas, and will suffer from high rates of obesity, diabetes, and chronic diseases.”
As President of the NHMA, Dr. Rios represents the interests of Hispanic physicians in the United States. She also serves on the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda and the Partnerships for Prevention Boards of Directors, the American Medical Association Commission to End Health Disparities, and is Co-Chair for the Hispanic Health Coalition. Dr. Rios has lectured and published articles and has received several awards on health policy, including awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Congressional Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Caucuses, American Public Health Association Latino Caucus, Association of Hispanic Health Executives, Minority Health Month, Inc., and Hispanic Magazine.
Established in 1994 in Washington, DC, the National Hispanic Medical Association is a non-profit association representing 36,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States. The mission of the organization is to improve the health of Hispanics and other underserved populations. As a rapidly growing national resource based in the nation’s capital, NHMA provides policymakers and healthcare providers with expert information and support in strengthening health service delivery to Hispanic communities across the nation.
The New York Academy of Medicine is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit institution whose mission is to enhance the health of the public. Its research, education, community engagement, and evidence-based advocacy seek to improve the health of people living in cities, especially disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. The impact of these initiatives reaches into neighborhoods in New York City, across the country, and around the world. It works with community based organizations, academic institutions, corporations, the media, and government to catalyze and contribute to changes that promote health.
Posted on 04/09/2008
Contact:
Malini Doddamani
Director of Communications
mdoddamani@nyam.org
212.822.7285
