Hispanic Heritage Month: How Providers Can Better Serve the Latino Community

Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) honors the history, culture, and contributions of Latino communities in the United States. It is also a time to reflect on the unique challenges these communities face in accessing quality health care and how Providers can better meet their needs with empathy and understanding.

At Community First Health Plans, we are committed to improving health outcomes by supporting culturally competent care and eliminating barriers to access.

Understanding the Health Needs of Latino Communities

Latino communities face a variety of health care disparities rooted in longstanding social, economic, linguistic, and systemic inequities. While Latinos represent one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States, they continue to experience disproportionate barriers to care that impact overall health and quality of life.

Without intentional, culturally sensitive support, these barriers contribute to widening gaps in health outcomes and access.

These inequities show up in measurable ways across the health care system. While not an exhaustive list, Latino individuals are more likely to face:

Gaps in insurance coverage, including being uninsured or underinsured
Higher rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and liver disease
Limited access to preventive services like cancer screenings
Language barriers, immigration-related fears, and a shortage of culturally competent mental health care

These challenges can result in delayed care, lower health literacy, and worse health outcomes.

The Role of Health Care Providers

To improve outcomes in the community, Providers need to have a comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to poor health outcomes, provide equitable access, address disparities, and deliver effective treatment to this demographic.

It is important to:

Use clear communication: Information should be communicated in plain language that is easy to understand. Providers should commit to addressing questions and identifying any concerns that patients may be hesitant to express
Communicate and offer materials and forms in Spanish: Use qualified medical interpreters. Community First Health Plans provides free, 24-hour access to interpreter services at no cost for Community First Members with limited English proficiency (LEP) or who use sign language. Interpreters are available in more than 200 languages by request.
Recognize cultural values: Consider the importance of family involvement in care decisions and respect cultural beliefs around health and healing.
Build trust through outreach: Engage with trusted community partners, community health workers, and organizations to connect with Latino populations.
Promote preventive care: Encourage screenings, vaccines, and wellness visits with messaging that resonates with Latino cultural values.
Understand non-medical drivers of health: Be mindful of issues such as transportation, housing, food insecurity, and immigration-related stress that may affect a patient’s health. Providers can refer to our Provider Guide to Addressing Non-Medical Drivers of Health for further insight, screening recommendations, and a list of local resources.

Community First aims to provide fair and equal access to care for our community, to be leaders in recognizing and eliminating social barriers, and to champion diversity within the Community First workplace that reflects the populations we serve.