National Hispanic Medical Association: Addressing Heart Health in the Hispanic Community

For more than 27 years the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) has been working  to improve the health of Hispanic communities and other underserved populations. In recent years, a big part of this focus has been the heart health of many people living in these communities. The numbers tell the story: nearly half of Hispanic men and a third of Hispanic women over age 20 are affected by  cardiovascular disease. The problem is all the more troubling because Hispanics often face language and cultural barriers in care, as well as a lack of access to preventative care and health insurance.

The NHMA has been addressing these barriers, said Dylan Garcia, the organization’s communication manager, by working to increase access to culturally competent healthcare for patients, sharing health information with the Hispanic community through the organization’s network of credible healthcare providers, and encouraging more diversity in the fields of health and medicine. It has also been giving laser attention to the disproportionate toll cardiovascular disease is taking among Hispanics.  

“Our mission and vision is about empowering Hispanic healthcare leaders with opportunities and resources they need to combat health disparities like these,” Garcia said. Through partnerships with Hispanic medical societies, residents, medical student associations, and other public and private organizations, NHMA has led numerous efforts to address these problems, he noted. For example, in 2017, NHMA collaborated with the biopharmaceutical company Amgento develop recommendations that, if implemented by health professionals and others, would significantly improve the heart health of people they serve:

1. Improve access to healthcare services targeted at Hispanic patients with cardiovascular disease.
2. Develop cardiovascular disease prevention programs intended for Hispanic communities.
3. Develop medical education curriculum about cardiovascular disease among Hispanic patients and also strategies providers can use to advocate for Hispanic patients.

NHMA has presented these recommendations at numerous regional and national conferences as a way to give attention to the problems and encourage action among healthcare professionals.

In the meantime, the organization has been using other tactics to raise awareness. One key initiative—the Cardiovascular Disease Campaign on Cholesterol and Post-Heart Attack Patients—targets policy makers, patient advocates, and healthcare providers. “The campaign is focused on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease,”  Garcia said. “But it also seeks to educate policy makers, leaders and health professionals so that they can actually implement program education policies that will help combat cardiovascular disparities.”

In July 2020, for example, NHMA hosted a congressional briefing, HHS Response to COVID-19: Efforts for Latinos with Heart and Lung Disease that shined a spotlight on the impact COVID-19 was having on Hispanics with heart and lung issues. The organization has continued to advocate for increased support for treating and preventing heart diseases during its annual Capitol Hill visits and state policy summits.

Partnering with The Heart Truth^® Healthy Hearts Network

As a new organization in The Heart Truth^® Healthy Hearts Network, NHMA is excited to collaborate with other stakeholders that have relationships within the Hispanic community, Garcia said. He noted that because Hispanics across the United States can have very different cultural experiences, organizations like NHMA have a responsibility to build partnerships reflecting that diversity. To that end, the group plans to share resources with other Network partners in hopes that, together, they can help address health misinformation and myths, improve heart health, reduce health disparities, and improve overall well-being in the Hispanic community.

“We are at a point of growth,” said NHMA President and CEO, Dr. Elena Rios. “We want to continue developing the National Hispanic Medical Association as a trusted leader in public health, and we have a strong network of physicians and trusted messengers who can help make that happen.”

Resources

For more information and to follow NHMA activities visit their website. Also, check out a few of The Heart Truth’s resources for Hispanic/Latino communities: High Blood Pressure Resources in Spanish and Health Education Resources for Hispanic/Latino Populations.