Congress, Media, Experts Come Together to Target Health Disparities at National Hispanic Medical Association Briefing

“As Congress prepares to unveil two bills to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities, a national doctors group is having a congressional briefing Thursday, May 10 to seek more government-funded health programs for inner cities and low-income communities.

“We’re here to inform Congress that our communities need not only programs to eliminate health care disparities but also the means for those programs to reach the most vulnerable Americans,” said Dr. Elena Rios, president of the National Hispanic Medical Association, which represents 36,000 licensed Hispanic doctors in the U.S. “We urge Congress to marshal the credibility and support of community leaders and national health organizations and work with the media to effectively distribute health information to minority populations.”

Congressional and health care leaders will discuss health disparities at NHMA’s 6th Hispanic health congressional briefing series, “Partnering With Media About Health Disparities in Your District.” The briefing will be 5 p.m-7 p.m. Thursday, May 10, 2007, at the Rayburn Office Building Room B-339 in Washington, D.C.

The increasing diversity of the United States underscores the urgency of addressing health disparities. By 2050, half the country will be Hispanic, black or Asian. Left unchecked, the current state of health disparities will grow as the nation grows, Rios said.

Racial and ethnic minorities face serious disparities in access to health information, care and treatment, especially in high-risk conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

The briefing is sponsored by The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation. Rios said the briefing is a forum to educate congressional staffers on how the media can help reach these critical communities and better inform policymakers and the public about health disparities.

Lawmakers invited to the briefing are: Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-CA), chairwoman, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Task Force on Health and the Environment; Del. Donna Christensen (D-VI), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus Brain Trust; and Del. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), secretary, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

In Congress, Solis is introducing “The Community Health Workers Act of 2007.” “Community health workers play a key role in the battle against health disparities,” Solis said.

In the House, a health disparities bill would fund programs to improve language access to health care for people with limited English and improve health care for patients with little health literacy. The Senate Bill would provide grants to recruit students to health careers and to conduct research on people effected by health disparities.

“Media is a powerful tool that can create public will for reforms and help build healthier communities,” said Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of The California Endowment. “More consistent and informative media coverage of health issues can educate the public and policymakers about the barriers to health that cause disparities.” Also invited to the briefing are Caya Lewis,

deputy staff director for health for the Senate Health Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; Diana Diaz, director, Corporate and Community Relations, Univision; Sandy Close-Executive Director, New America Media; Mayte Prida, national spokeswoman for PhRMA; and Albert Morris, president of the National Medical Association.

“NHMA is urging Congress to support model health programs that work,” Rios said.

NHMA. Established in 1994 in Washington, DC, NHMA is a nonprofit association that represents licensed Hispanic physicians in the U.S. in its mission to improve health care for Hispanics and the underserved. For more information, visit www.nhmamd.org/.

Contact: Castaneda Global Communications, 703-369-0414
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