Hispanic and Latino communities faces significant challenges in achieving health equity in the United States. Health equity is a state where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.
Despite being one of the fastest-growing demographics in the U.S., Hispanics and Latinos often encounter barriers to healthcare access and experience poor health outcomes. Factors such as language barriers, lack of insurance and economic disparities contribute to this inequity. For instance, Hispanics and Latinos are nearly three times more likely to be uninsured compared to non-Hispanic whites, according to the Brookings Institution. This lack of coverage, coupled with cultural and systemic obstacles, leads to disparities in treatment and prevention of diseases like diabetes and mental health disorders, which disproportionately affect the Hispanic and Latino population. To tackle these challenges, the healthcare sector is focusing on advancing Hispanic and Latino health equity, ensuring that this community has the support it needs to thrive.
How Top Hospitals and Health Systems are Addressing Hispanic and Latino Health Equity
Michigan-based healthcare system Corewell Health (No. 8 on the 2024 Top Hospitals and Health Systems list) is making significant strides in advancing Hispanic and Latino health equity. Recognizing the profound importance of fostering health equity, reducing disparities and increasing access to high-quality care in every community, the company was awarded a $3.4 million grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to advance health equity and prevent chronic illnesses in Latino, Black and Indigenous populations in Wayne County, MI. This grant, known as the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant, will support programming in communities experiencing health disparities.
