Hispanic Health Information Dissemination & Training Project Report

The purpose of the National Hispanic Medical Association's (NHMA) Information Dissemination and Training Project ('the Project") is to respond to the needs of a growing and diverse U.S. Hispanic population and stimulate the growth of culturally competent physicians, dentists, nurses, and health executives from the current pool of Hispanic health professionals -by planning the development of the infrastructure of the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF), and enhancing the capacity of the National Hispanic Medical Association to build its strategic relationships amongst the national Hispanic health professions organizations, the local Hispanic medical societies, Hispanic health professional students, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health Regional Coordinators. NHMA will utilize Project resources to expedite the development of the NHMA membership base, strengthen the role of the Association's governing body, and launch the development of the information dissemination through the website and a new MIS system. The National Hispanic Health Foundation will also be planned to become the main vehicle for promoting Hispanic health services research and training, through an affiliation agreement with the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University and linkages with health research programs in key Hispanic cities, of the next generation of Hispanic health services researchers.

The Project seeks to implement ten specific objectives. These are:

1. Develop the capacity of the NHMA Executive Office to support strategic planning and communicate more effectively with the NHMA leadership bodies (the Board of Directors and National Advisory Committee)
2. Develop a leadership network that effectively links regional, state and local Hispanic Medical Societies, nurses, dentists, and health executives, and the OMH consultants with the National Hispanic Medical Association in order to facilitate collaboration on projects and information sharing on Hispanic health
3. Intensify efforts to develop the NHMA Membership Unit and Membership Services Program
4. Develop the NHMA Website as a major source of Hispanic Health information in English and Spanish
5. Publish the NHMA conference proceedings on best practices
6. Develop the NHMA MIS System and training program for the NHMA office staff
7. Develop a Speaker's Bureau that integrates a larger number of members amongst the NHMA Leadership
8. Develop a public relations campaign on Hispanic health issues to raise awareness of the Hispanic community
9. Develop the NHHF Organizational Development Plan
10. Expand leadership and health services research training to include other Hispanic health professional organizations

NHMA will develop plans for Training Institutes for senior managers from national and local Hispanic health professions organizations and Federal Government that focuses on using Hispanic data and developing policy analysis research on Hispanic health issues. Information on Hispanic health will be disseminated through a new portal, a membership services unit, and a targeted list serve to Hispanic medical societies across the nation, the NHMA Advisory Committee, Hispanic health interest groups and policy committees, as well as the National Hispanic Health Professionals Leadership Network at the NHMA Annual Conferences, beginning in March 2004.