Introduction

Hispanics, a key part of the American fabric of life, are major contributors to the vitality of the country. Yet for many hard-working Hispanic families, the American dream is a dream that is unmet.

The Census documented that Hispanics are a population of over 45 million persons, representing 14 percent of the U.S. population. For purposes of understanding magnitude this means that Hispanics in the U.S. are a group larger than the entire population of Canada or more than twice the size of the population of Australia.

The emergence of Hispanics as a majority population in many communities, however, is testing the ability and resolve of health systems to meet the needs of the nation. In order to meet the needs of all Americans, 21st century health care systems must move from models that focus on how long people live (mortality) to new models that focus on healthy living and aging-emphasizing prevention, early detection, and treatment of chronic illness and disease. At the nexus of this challenge stands the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

The Alliance is the nation's oldest and largest network of Hispanic health and human service professionals.  Services, provided by trusted Alliance member community organizations and health professionals, prevent over $1 billion in health care costs every year related to untreated illness, medical errors from language and cultural barriers, and costly emergency room care in the Hispanic community.