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Medical Spanish

Latino Health Care

by Tara Peris

A growing number of medical training facilities are emphasizing the importance of Latino health care. In addition to teaching universal health care practices, these institutions are underscoring the importance of being able to meet the unique needs of non-native populations. As Latinos represent one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the U.S., course work has been oriented toward helping health care practitioners to adapt to the needs to of this specific demographic.

A New Patient Population

The Latino population is growing nationwide. Never mind the ongoing and often acrimonious debate over boarder control; this population is remarkably diverse. Indeed, it contains not only Mexican immigrants, but individuals from Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and South America as well. Although these people share a common language, their beliefs and cultural practices vary considerably depending on their country of origin.

These diverse Latino communities are thriving in all corners of the country. In some places, such as Los Angeles, New Mexico, and parts of Texas, they are growing at a faster rate than any other immigrant demographic. Thus, they are integrating with professional, educational, and medical sectors more and more each year.

This carries significant implications for those who work in the field of health care. Although many sectors of society are adapting to accommodate the needs of diverse peoples, medicine has a unique challenge. More so than almost any other field, it must adjust its practices to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of a new patient population. This means learning basic Spanish and understanding cultural practices that will shape Latino beliefs about health care and medicine.

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