Hispanics Health Care Issues in Texas
Hispanics Health Care Issues in Texas
Jose Rodriguez
Excelsior College
HSC320: Health Care Issues in Culturally Diverse Populations
Craig Owens
April 24, 2011
Hispanics Heath Care issues in Texas
Introduction
Few weeks ago, my neighbor a non-English speaking woman of Spaniard decent, approach me and ask if I could help her reading a prescription that she received from a recent visit to the her primary care manager. I agreed and translate the instructions for her. I asked her if she told the doctor that she did not understood English very well. She replied, “He should know that, because I can barely explain my symptoms without my husband being present”. At the time her husband, who is a Soldier, was in training on a distant military installation. I was shocked to hear that in Texas where one third of the population is considered Hispanic, there are still health care professionals who do not understand the diverse population they serve. What specific factors within the Hispanic population must the Texas health care system address in order to meet the needs of its largest minority group which composes 35 percent of the population (Ewing, Reyes III, & Wetherbe, 2008)?
It is a harsh reality that cultural diversity management in the Texas health care system is a huge issue. While there are many issues affecting the Hispanic community which Texas health care needs to address, the most common problem is the lack of Hispanic health care access. The rising costs of health insurance together with the rising costs of medical care are impacting many Hispanic families. There is a large number of Hispanic families in Texas, with and without medical insurance, not capable of paying for their medical treatment bills. Our current economy and the projected cuts to government sponsored medical programs nationwide will only worsen this situation. There are several additional factors which compound the issues for Hispanics health care in the state of Texas, to
Jose Rodriguez
Excelsior College
HSC320: Health Care Issues in Culturally Diverse Populations
Craig Owens
April 24, 2011
Hispanics Heath Care issues in Texas
Introduction
Few weeks ago, my neighbor a non-English speaking woman of Spaniard decent, approach me and ask if I could help her reading a prescription that she received from a recent visit to the her primary care manager. I agreed and translate the instructions for her. I asked her if she told the doctor that she did not understood English very well. She replied, “He should know that, because I can barely explain my symptoms without my husband being present”. At the time her husband, who is a Soldier, was in training on a distant military installation. I was shocked to hear that in Texas where one third of the population is considered Hispanic, there are still health care professionals who do not understand the diverse population they serve. What specific factors within the Hispanic population must the Texas health care system address in order to meet the needs of its largest minority group which composes 35 percent of the population (Ewing, Reyes III, & Wetherbe, 2008)?
It is a harsh reality that cultural diversity management in the Texas health care system is a huge issue. While there are many issues affecting the Hispanic community which Texas health care needs to address, the most common problem is the lack of Hispanic health care access. The rising costs of health insurance together with the rising costs of medical care are impacting many Hispanic families. There is a large number of Hispanic families in Texas, with and without medical insurance, not capable of paying for their medical treatment bills. Our current economy and the projected cuts to government sponsored medical programs nationwide will only worsen this situation. There are several additional factors which compound the issues for Hispanics health care in the state of Texas, to
References: Boushey, H. A., & Wamock, D. G. Issues in Latino Health Care. Medical Staff Conference (pp. 213-218). San Francisco: University of Califomia. Cooper, M. A. (2009, Jone 8). Top 25 Medical Schools Enrolling Hispanics. Hispanic Outlook , p. 8. Ewing, B. T., Reyes III, A. L., & Wetherbe, J. C. (2008, August). Estimating the Effect of Non-English Speaking Hispanic on Personal Injury Jury Trial Outcomes. Texas Tech University, Rawls College of Business, ISQS Working Paper. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. (2010). Table 4. Estimates of the Resident Population by Race and Hispanic Origin for the United States and States: July 1, 2009 (SC-EST2009-04). U.S. Census. Urrutia-Rojas, X., Trevino, E., Lurie, S. G., Minguia-Bayona, G., & Marshall, K. (2006). Disparities in Access to Health Care and Health Status Between Documented and Undocumented Mexican Immigrants in North Texas. Hispanic Health Care Intemational , 5-14. Zavaleta, A. N. (2000, June 08). DO CULTURAL FACTORS AFFECT HISPANIC HEALTH STATUS? Retrieved April 22, 2011, from El Niño Fidencio Research Project: http://vpea.utb.edu