Health Care Reform: Communicating Policy With Hispanic Media

The Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives (www.AHHE.org) and the National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Health (www.NHCCH.com) today announced the launching of their social media campaign, which will partner Hispanic media, the country’s leading Hispanic professional health associations and Hispanic consumers. The launching of the partnership coincides with the appointment of Mirian Zavala, RN, MS, Doctoral Candidate, as the chair of AHHE’s Policy Committee. The social media campaign launch and Ms. Zavala will be introduced at a reception, “Health Care Reform: Communicating Policy with Hispanic Media,” on Monday, November 23, 2009, 6:00-8:00pm, at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, 16th floor Sky lobby.

In attendance, and partnering with AHHE and the NHCCH on this initiative, will be the leading national Hispanic health association presidents, including George A. Zeppenfeldt-Cestero, President, Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives; Suzanne Colin, PhD, President, the Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals; Miguel Hernandez, MD, President, the Dominican Medical Association; Norma Martinez Rogers, PhD, RN, FAAN, President, National Association of Hispanic Nurses; Samuel Arce, MD, President, Spanish American Medical Dental Society of NY, Inc., and Luis A. Vazquez, Chairman, National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Health. The Honorable Joel Rivera, Chairman of the Health Committee for the NYC Council and other elected officials, will give remarks during the event.

George A. Zeppenfeldt-Cestero, President of AHHE, will also be working closely with the national Hispanic professional membership associations to establish a Roundtable of Hispanic Health Association Presidents to insure a unified voice on health issues impacting our community and providing authoritative information to both the media and consumers.

According to Marcelo Rodriguez, President of Inlanet, a leading Hispanic Internet Marketing agency based in New York, “It is of utmost importance that a prominent Hispanic association such as AHHE starts an initiative targeting a community that is growing so fast on the internet – almost 23 million and counting – and by definition is social. AHHE will become a major Hispanic resource on the internet by establishing its presence online where Hispanics frequently turn to for authoritative health resources. AHHE’s presence will be displayed on the main social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.”

Health Disparities Tax American Economy. According to researchers commissioned by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the combined costs of health inequalities and premature death in the nation cost $1.24 trillion between 2003 and 2006. Patients from racial and ethnic minority communities, who bear a disproportionate share of our nation’s health problems, spent nearly $230 billion in excess medical care costs. diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_13067.shtml

As one of the least likely demographic groups to have insurance, Hispanics might be expected to have high hopes for the current reform efforts. In the nearly two dozen congressional districts with a Hispanic majority, the number of people with health insurance is 16 percentage points below the national average, according to a NationalJournal.com analysis. Hispanics accounted for 15 percent of the nation’s population in 2007, but 32 percent of the nation’s uninsured.

Financial support for this event is provided by national partner, Aetna, and regional partners, NewYork Presbyterian, North Shore-LIJ, Healthfirst, Healthplex and event sponsors, Fidelis Care/New York, Atlantis Health Plan and Inlanet. Credentialed press may register for the event at www.AHHE.org.

P.O. Box 230832, Ansonia Station, New York, NY 10023 T. 212-877-1615 F. 212-877-2406″

• Mexico could censor Twitter
• Social Media and Mobile Internet Use of Hispanic Teens and Young Adults
• Listen to podcast interview with Maria Azua, VP, IBM Enterprise Initiatives about social networks
• Mexico to ban Twitter?
• United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to Host 20th Annual Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C.
• The Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau plan to announce Feb. 6 that the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers selected Fort Worth as the site for its 2012 Annual Conference.
• St. Louis Hispanic Chamber Hold Insurance Information Seminar Feb. 11
• The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce launched two education initiatives at its 81st annual banquet Friday
• Edward James Olmos will be the keynote speaker at the Wichita Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting and awards dinner on Feb. 20
• The 38th Annual Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Gala Celebrates Unity and Community
• Banking executive Santiago Quintana was elected chairman of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Reach Hispanic Owned Businesses through Social Media
• Georgia Hispanic Chamber Goes International – video
• Augie Martinez was named VP of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
• The Southwest Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Telemundo Southwest Florida and their daily local show “En Casa Con Martin Ycaza” to host “Save the Children – Haiti” a fundraising event to raise funds for the children affected by the earthquake in Haiti.
• Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to hold annual banquet
• Hispanics social media marketing strategy – a must
• Are DSM Products the New Great Thing in Latin Online Advertising?
• The Wisconsin District Office of UPS will be honored as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin 2009 Corporation of the Year at the HCCW’s annual gala on Saturday, Jan. 23.
• The Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce appointed Mario M. Carrera, vice president and general manager for Entravision Communications Colorado, as chairman effective Jan. 1.