Issues

 

In partnership with funders and nonprofits across the U.S., HIP is working to strengthen efforts to improve health outcomes for Latinos.

This work includes:

• Building the capacity of Latino-led health education and promotora programs; culturally competent mental health and substance abuse services; reproductive health and justice; HIV/AIDS services and empowerment for gay Latino men; and disease management programs.
• Piloting initiatives to develop and hone new philanthropic strategies for promoting healthy Latino communities.
• Facilitating the sharing of resources and best practices among funders working to improve Latino health outcomes.
• Conducting research and assessment on health-related issues, such as aging and Latino men and boys.

Current Programs

California Health Leaders Project

The California Health Leaders Project provides capacity-building support for nonprofit organizations promoting healthy Latino communities. The program, funded by the California Wellness Foundation, has provided $165,000 in grants as well as trainings and networking opportunities for Latino leaders.

Funders’ Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities

Through the Funders’ Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities, HIP has provided capacity-building grants and training to more than 100 Latino-led, Latino serving nonprofits working in the area of health.  For example, North Carolina Farmworker Project, a HIP grantee, provides diabetes health screenings and transportation to medical visits for migrant workers.  Another HIP grantee, the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), protects and promotes Latina reproductive health and justice by engaging young Latinas and their families in education, civic participation, and leadership opportunities.

Latino Aging Initiative

The Latino Age Wave Initiative works to increase philanthropic resources directed to addressing the unique needs and policy issues faced by the growing number of older Latinos. An essential part of this work is improving the health and quality of life of Latino older adults—who tend to live longer, but not better.

Facilitating Funder Dialogue on Latino Health Issues 

HIP convenes funders to promote dialogue and sharing of best practices around effective funding of Latino health issues.  Recent and upcoming forums have covered topics such as Latino aging issues and the unique health risks faced by Latino men and boys.

Why We Care

Latino children and adults across the nation face major health disparities and often lack access to affordable health care.  Although their mortality rate is reported to be lower than other groups, Latinos have high rates of chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. The HIV epidemic is also a serious threat to the Latino community, with Latinos accounting for 17 percent of new HIV infections in 2006--2.5 times that of white non-Hispanics.

Obstacles faced by Latinos:	The statistics:
Lack of health insurance	Hispanics make up one-third of the country’s roughly 47 million uninsured. The uninsured rate among Hispanic children is almost twice that of African-American children.
Limited access to culturally-competent medical, dental, and mental health care	More than one-fourth of Hispanic adults in the United States lack a usual health care provider. For each Latino doctor in the U.S., there are roughly 3,000 Latino patients. For non-Latinos, the ratio is only 335 patients per doctor.
Greater exposure to environmental pollutants where they live and work	Two-thirds of Latino families in the U.S. reside in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards.
Limited access to high-quality food	Hispanic neighborhoods have about one-third as many chain supermarkets as non-Hispanic neighborhoods.
Higher rates of teen pregnancy	Current estimates indicate that one in four Latinas will give birth before the age of 20. Of all Latinas who drop out of high school between their sophomore and senior year, 36 percent cite being pregnant or becoming a mother as a reason they dropped out.
Lack of resources for Latino older adults	A recent HIP study found that 87% of federally funded aging agencies could not provide any Spanish speaking services on first contact. Six percent of older Latinos have no health insurance, compared to only one percent for their non-Hispanic white counterparts.

 

The 2006 National Healthcare Disparities Report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that inequities in quality of care and access to care are easing for all race and ethnic groups—except Latinos.   According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America, 66 percent of Latino adults are in less than good health compared to 30 percent of whites.  And among children, 36 percent of Latinos are in less than very good health compared to nine percent of whites.

Many Latinos are held back by insecurities created by financial, linguistic, cultural, or logistical barriers, putting them at risk of not getting adequate treatment when they need it. Too many Latinos rely on emergency rooms and clinics, which aren’t capable of providing personalized long-term care.  The Pew Hispanic Center’s interviews of individuals receiving poor healthcare found that the largest share of Hispanics (31 percent) cited an inability to pay as the reason for poor treatment, followed by race or ethnicity (29 percent) and how they speak English (23 percent).

HIP believes that to improve health outcomes for Latinos, health care providers need to go beyond having translation services available. The best solutions for health care disparities need to fully integrate Latino communities into comprehensive efforts to promote healthy behaviors, create affordable health coverage options, and provide culturally competent health care.

What Our Members and Partners are Doing

A number of HIP members and partners are working to improve health outcomes for Latinos. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a HIP member, is a key voice on improving health care, particularly for Latinos and other vulnerable communities, and is leading large-scale initiatives on issues such as childhood obesity and affordable health care. The Atlantic Philanthropies has been a national trailblazer in philanthropy on aging issues, particularly in communities of color and other underrepresented groups. Kaiser Permanente awards grants to promote healthy communities and expand access to health care.

In New Mexico, Con Alma Health Foundation responds to the health rights and needs of the culturally and demographically diverse peoples and communities of New Mexico.

In California, The California Wellness Foundation, The California Endowment, California Healthcare Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation all give grants to improve the health of the people of California, including Latinos and other vulnerable communities.

In North Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina has invested more than $67 million in communities across the state, and the Cone Health Foundation supports programs and organizations that improve health of people in the greater Greensboro area.