Hispanics At HHS Note Progress, But See Problems With Action Plan

Sidebar: HEO's Priorities For Action

SKEPTIC: Henry Stevenson-Perez says HHS's agenda offers few services to Hispanic members of the public.

For years, Hispanic health professionals have contended they are severely underrepresented in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a situation that they say jeopardizes HHS's ability to serve a rapidly increasing Hispanic population in the United States. HHS itself conceded this in a document released last September, "Hispanic Agenda for Action: Improving Services to Hispanic Americans." The agenda, a directive from Secretary Donna Shalala, lists a series of actions the department must take to increase its level of Hispanic employment and to provide services-Medicare, Medicaid, access to clinical trials, research monies-to the rapidly growing Hispanic population.

Some HHS Hispanic workers laud the agenda as a step-initiated from the highest administrative levels-to improve Hispanic employee relations in the department as well as the department's relations with its Hispanic...