Severe Asthma within the Hispanic Community

As a part of a strong commitment to promote health care equity and quality, the National
Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) partnered with Amgen to develop an Asthma and Hispanics Education Campaign during 2022. Given the pandemic of COVID-19, that targets the lungs, has impacted Hispanics twice as much as the general population in terms of hospitalizations and death, NHMA has focused on how to improve asthma education and treatment targeted at this population. 

Hispanics face barriers to access to healthcare – both financial and non-financial. Hispanics have the highest rates of uninsured and due to limited incomes to spend on health care, they have less access to a regular provider and use the emergency room for sporadic asthma care. Other barriers include cultural values and lack of Hispanic physicians, health literacy, language services which limit knowledge among Hispanic families about management and treatment of asthma.

 Past Events                                    

  February Amgen Advocacy Meetings:

  Discussing Severe Asthma among Hispanics with Texas Legislators 

NHMA hosted an advocacy meeting to discuss asthma policy with Texas state legislators and office members from the House of Representatives on February 17 on Zoom. The event featured NHMA physicians who discussed the importance of recognizing barriers that Hispanic patients face when seeking adequate and affordable asthma treatment. The conversation also covered environmental impact, challenges in state law, the need for a diverse workforce in healthcare, and the promotion of leadership opportunities for provider engagement in government. 

 

    Date and Time: February 17, 2023; 2:00-3:30 PM ET

 
 Speakers: 
   Bert Johansson, MD, PhD
  Executive Board Member
       National Hispanic Medical Association
         Pediatrician, Centro de Salud Familiar la Fe, El Paso, TX
Tanya Martinez, MD
Associate Professor, Program Director,
Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship, UT Southwestern / Children’s Health Dallas
 Representative Terry Meza
Member of Environmental Regulation, District 105 
 Samantha Crane
Legislative Director, Representative Elizabeth Campos
Vice Chair of Public Health, District 119 
 Nimisha Bhakta, MPH
Director of Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention
Texas Department of State Health Services 
Agenda
Slides
For more, check out our severe asthma resources at HispanicHealth.info and NHMA Amgen Asthma webpage.

Discussing Severe Asthma among Hispanics with New York Legislators 

NHMA hosted an advocacy meeting to discuss asthma policy with New York state legislators from both the Assembly and Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force on February 16 via Zoom. The event featured a provider's perspective on severe asthma in Hispanic communities, with discussions focused on the importance of recognizing barriers that Hispanic patients face when seeking adequate and affordable asthma treatment. The conversation also covered social determinants and challenges in state law, the need for a diverse workforce in healthcare, and the promotion of leadership opportunities for provider engagement in government.

  Date and Time: February 16, 2023; 3:00-4:30 PM ET

Speakers:

 Senator Gustavo Rivera
 Chair of Health Committee District 33
 Julia Salazar
 Member, Health Committee, District 18
 Elizabeth Lee-ReyMD
 Board Member, National Hispanic Medical Association
Partner, Family Practice, Eastchester Medical Associates, PC
 Assemblymember Kenny Burgos
 Member, Committee on Higher Education, District 87
 Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia
 Member, Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, District 86
Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas
 Member, Committee on Health, District 34
 Wilma Alvarado-Little, MA, MSW
 Associate Commissioner
New York State Department of Health
Director Office of Health Equity and Health Disparities Prevention
Agenda
Slides
 
 For more, check out our severe asthma resources at HispanicHealth.info and NHMA Amgen Asthma webpage.                  

Severe Asthma  Health Disparities in the Hispanic Community

Severe Asthma and Health Disparities in the Hispanic Communities
October 5, 2022 | 2 p.m. ET
 Recording
Slides
Speaker Biography 
Congressional Briefing - COVID 19 & Asthma
Achieving Health Equity for Hispanic Populations: Lessons Learned - COVID-19 and Severe Asthma
July 27, 2022
 
Learn More and View Recording

 


Asthma Resources

For more information and to access resources related to severe asthma for patients and healthcare providers, please visit NHMA's bilingual resource hub HispanicHealth.info