National Council of La Raza and Office of Minority Health Announce Project to Improve Emergency Response to Latino Community

“The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) announced today that it has received a $250,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health (OMH) to develop a tool kit to assist emergency managers and relief agencies in serving immigrant communities in the event of a public health disaster. The announcement was made at a roundtable on the health status of Latinos in New Orleans held today on the campus of Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

“Hurricane Katrina exposed the gaping holes in our emergency response safety net. Among the most important gaps is the inability of both public and private organizations to adequately address the needs of Latino and other immigrants in disaster relief situations. This tool kit is an important step in providing first responders and other personnel with the information they need before our next disaster hits,” stated Janet Murguí, NCLR President and CEO.

“OMH’s mission is to close the gap in health disparities for all Americans, but that can’t be done until we know that all communities can be served effectively during a public health disaster. We are committed to working with organizations like NCLR to make sure that we continue to make improvements in our disaster relief and emergency response systems,” said Dr. Garth Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

With OMH’s support, NCLR will convene a Disaster Advisory Group of public health and disaster relief experts and conduct research to identify the most effective materials and training programs for serving Hispanic populations and develop a multipurpose tool kit that will include culturally- and linguistically-appropriate handouts, brochures, fact sheets, and other resources useful for emergency responders.

To assist in the development of the tool kit, NCLR held today’s roundtable, Latino Health Status in the Wake of Katrina, at which panelists discussed historical and current health issues facing New Orleans’ and the region’s growing Latino community. In addition to Graham and Murguí, panelists included Andrea Bazán-Manson, MPH, President, Triangle Community Foundation; Dr. Pierre Bukens, MD, PhD, Dean, Tulane University – School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; Dr. Frederique Jacquerioz, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Public Health, Tulane University; Shaula Lovera, MPH, Director, Latino Health Access Network, Catholic Social Services; and Gina Lutz, Coordinator, Latino Health Outreach Project, Common Ground Health Clinic.

“When we created our Katrina Relief Fund in September 2005, Dr. Graham and OMH were the first to step forward with a $200,000 commitment. With their support, and the generosity of many other donors, we were able to distribute more than $300,000 to organizations working at the front lines of Katrina recovery efforts, publish a major white paper on the issue, and conduct several fact-finding trips to the Gulf region. We are deeply appreciative of OMH’s continued support and of Dr. Graham’s personal commitment to improving the health status of all Americans, including Latinos. This commitment will help ensure that we are truly prepared to help all communities in the next disaster our country faces,” concluded Murguí.”

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