Join a live A Health Podyssey virtual event!
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌


 

View Message in Browser
<[link removed]>


[link removed]

 

[link removed]

 

[link removed]

 

[link removed]

 

[link removed]

Wednesday, July 26, 2023 | The Latest Research, Commentary, And News
From Health Affairs

Dear John,

Today's newsletter comes from the desk of Indira Islas from the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

Insiders can join a virtual event where Islas will discuss her recent
Health Affairs article on July 31
<[link removed]>.


From Indira Islas

****

As we recently celebrated Independence Day with fireworks all over the
nation, I found myself reflecting on the recent Supreme Court decision
to restrict the consideration of race in admission processes and what
implications it may have in the diversity of our health workforce and
other sectors.

As a Mexican American aspiring to become a physician, the challenges
faced by other Latinos in pursuing advanced education resonate with me.

Coupled with being a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
recipient, I confront additional barriers to in my pursuit of a medical
education.

While the DACA program has provided many opportunities, such as
attending college, there are still obstacles.

For example, in Georgia, the state that I have called home for almost 20
years, DACA recipients are barred from attending some of the state's
top institutions, and we are required to pay the out-of-state tuition
rate regardless of how long we have lived there.

When it comes to obtaining a graduate education as a DACA recipient, the
options and resources are scarce.

DACA recipients cannot apply to most medical schools in the US, and
there is an even smaller number of medical schools that provide
financial aid from private funds (as we cannot receive federal aid).

While 80% of DACA beneficiaries are Latinos from Mexico, the challenge
of obtaining an advanced degree extends to the greater Latino population
in the US.

The growth of the Latino population in the US presents a challenge as
the health workforce is not able to keep pace with this demographic
trend; this poses a risk of widening health disparities in the future.

Latinos are not a monolith, and in therecent issue of Health Affairs
<[link removed]>,
my colleagues and I published a study on the four largest Latino
subpopulations (Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and
"other" Latino Americans) and their representation in the US health
workforce.

It highlights the need to recognize and understand the unique cultural
differences and needs of various Latino subpopulations.

We found that although the representation of Latinos in the health
workforce has grown, they remain markedly underrepresented in health
professions requiring advanced degrees.

More notably, Mexican Americans, the largest Latino subpopulation in the
US, are the most underrepresented in the health diagnosing and treating
professions which require advanced education.

In contrast, Cuban Americans are well represented compared to the three
other subpopulations, in particular, in the dentistry and physician
professions.

Although the study does not address the reasons behind low
representation, existing literature points to several contributing
factors.

Underlying factors such as structural racism, discrimination, and
socioeconomic inequalities have long existed, but the Affirmative Action
Supreme Court ruling and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic will
further exacerbate the health workforce shortage and hurt efforts to
establish a racially and ethnically diverse health workforce reflective
of the US population.

Previous studies have shown that there are ample benefits to having a
racially and ethnically diverse workforce.

For example, students from underserved communities aremore likely to
practice in underserved communities
<[link removed]> after graduation.

Other research suggests that a diverse health workforce is important
forpatient-physician concordance as it can lead to better health
outcomes <[link removed]> and higher levels
of trust and satisfaction for patients.

The findings of this study provide crucial insights into the
representation of Latinos in health professions across subpopulations
and underscore the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the
barriers they face.

It is important that we collectively work towards eliminating systemic
obstacles, fostering diversity, and cultivating an inclusive health
workforce that can effectively meet the needs of all Americans.

Follow Indira on Twitter <[link removed]>.

Read Her Article
<[link removed]>


[link removed]


On

**Tuesday, August 1**,

**Health Affairs** will host it's first-ever virtual live recording of
the popular podcast, A Health Podyssey
<[link removed]>. 
The event will be combined with the Health Affairs

**Policy Spotlight** event series.

We hope you will join us on that day when our Editor-in-Chief,

**Alan Weil**, welcomes

**Dr. Meena Seshamani**, the Director of the Office of Medicare at the
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They will discuss
several crucial issues that are coming to the forefront including:

* Implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with revised
negotiation guidance coming summer

* Recent significant policy changes related to Medicare Advantage

* Ongoing efforts to expand value based care.

This event is OPEN TO ALL.

 

Register
<[link removed]>


 

[link removed]

<[link removed]>

The Conundrum Of Patient Access To Therapeutic Medical Devices
<[link removed]>Robert
Shapiro

 

[link removed]


 

About Health Affairs

Health Affairs is the leading peer-reviewed journal
<[link removed]> at the intersection of health,
health care, and policy. Published monthly by Project HOPE, the journal
is available in print and online. Late-breaking content is also found
through healthaffairs.org <[link removed]>, Health
Affairs Today <[link removed]>, and Health
Affairs Sunday Update <[link removed]>.  

Project HOPE <[link removed]> is a global health and
humanitarian relief organization that places power in the hands of local
health care workers to save lives across the globe. Project HOPE has
published Health Affairs since 1981.

Copyright © Project HOPE: The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Health Affairs, 1220 19th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036, United States

Privacy Policy <[link removed]>

To unsubscribe from this email, update your email preferences here
<[link removed]>.
_________________

Sent to [email protected]

Unsubscribe:
[link removed]

Health Affairs, 1220 19th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036, United States