National Alliance For Hispanic Health - History

History

NAHH, also referred to as the Alliance, was founded in 1973 as the Coalition of Spanish Speaking Mental Health Organizations (COSSMHO) and has also been known as the National Coalition for Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations.

In 1987, NAHH was one of several Hispanic and Latino groups which persuaded the federal government to improve its health data research for Hispanic populations in the United States. The initiative was prompted in part by publication of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' report on "Black and Minority Health" which had found more complete health and demographic data on American Indians and Asian Americans than Hispanics. Delgado, on the coordinating committee of the Task Force that prepared the DHHS report, related to the Washington Post, "Data collection drives national policy in this country, and we don't have good data on Hispanics."

The organization's research work has included the Hispanic Health Research Consortium whose work on the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) was published as the first collected mainstream health journal issue to focus on Hispanic health, research on Hispanic youth demographics which reported that Hispanics for the first time were the nation’s largest racial/ethnic group of children, and publication of findings from the first survey of Hispanic communities and emergency preparedness issues.

Among its policy efforts, NAHH played a leading role in the landmark Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990, has been active in protection of patient rights under Executive Order 13166 to improve health access for limited English proficient (LEP) persons, lead health information technology policy efforts, has been active in regulatory oversight of the Medicare Modernization Act, is an advocate for expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, is a vocal advocate on tobacco control policy in Hispanic communities, and advocates for clean air and water in Hispanic communities. In 2007, NAHH partnered with Research!America to field the first national public opinion survey of Hispanics on health and research issues. Most recently, as a compliment to its online action network, the organization established the Vote for Your Health effort that delivers election day text message reminders to vote to members.

The 1998 Surgeon General Report on Tobacco Use recognized the Alliance for having "refused the support of the tobacco industry" and alcohol industry and "adopted a formal policy not to accept money from tobacco companies or their subsidiaries."

In April 2010, the NAHH was named to The NonProfit Times' "Best NonProfit Organizations to Work for in 2010".