NHMA Leadership Fellowship

The purpose of the NHMA Leadership Fellowship Program is to promote leadership development among members of the National Hispanic Medical Association. The emphasis is on the knowledge and skills necessary to take a leadership role in health policy development and advocacy at local, state and national levels on issues of importance to the health of the Hispanic community.

 A committee consisting of association officers, NYU Wagner faculty and the Dean selects approximately 10 Fellows each year. The primary selection criteria are leadership potential as evidenced by work experience and other community activities. Applicants should have at least five years of professional experience after completion of residency training and letters of recommendation are part of the application package.

In the year 2005, Hispanics have become the largest ethnic minority in the United States. One out of every three Hispanics has no health insurance. Hispanics are 65% Mexican American, 11% Puerto Rican, 8% Cuban, and 16% Central and South American and from other Spanish -speaking countries. They are subjected to a health system with limited knowledge of the Hispanic culture and language. Hispanic physicians number about 5% of the physician workforce in the United States. Studies have shown that Hispanic physicians, in general, provide more medical care to Hispanic patients than to non-Hispanics and serve as the safety net, along with community based clinics, for their communities in urban, rural, and U.S.- Mexico border areas of the nation. In addition, Hispanic medical faculty is beginning to engage themselves in the study of health issues and their impact on Hispanics.

The proportion of Hispanics employed in the senior executive management of the Federal government is significantly lower than the proportion of Hispanics employed in the civilian workforce. In 1996, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services established the "Hispanic Agenda for Action" to increase the employment of Hispanics in career and advisory capacities and to enhance the sensitivity of HHS programs for Hispanic customers. Too few Hispanic physicians in senior executive management positions of the Federal government is a major barrier to achieving access to quality health care for all Americans.

In the Fellowship program, promising Hispanic physicians will receive support to enhance their leadership capability, increase understanding of current key national/state health policy issues, develop innovative perspectives on solutions to critical issues in current public services affecting Hispanic populations, and to develop and present a proposal for policy action to improve health care in the Hispanic community. In addition, the program will provide Fellows the opportunity to develop a unique network with national experts in health policy and public service careers, communicate with colleagues across the nation via Internet, and to participate in the development of future NHMA initiatives in health policy.

The Orientation will be held on March 25, 2010, Washington, DC in conjunction with the NHMA Annual Conference.

The Summer Institute will be convened at the Robert Wagner Graduate School, NYU from July 18-24, 2010 and will be a one-week residential session involving didactic lectures about various roles and responsibilities of sectors that impact health care services.

The Fellows will be assigned to Policy Analysis Teams designed to research and develop a policy paper on specific topics such as: Cultural Competence, Medical Education, Safety Net and Finance.

  The Fall Institute will be held In Washington, DC on September 12-18, 2010, coinciding with the annual meeting of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.  The Fellows will meet with leaders from the White House, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Congress, Think Tanks and  national organizations with interests in health policy. The purpose of the sessions are to gain first hand experience with the policy-making process and to gain experience meeting members of Congress, their staff and with lobbyists. The fellowship closes at the following year's annual conference where Fellows will present their findings and recommendations for NHMA's advocacy agenda to improve Hispanic health policy.

Fellows are expected to arrange to be given time off from work to participate in the program. Expenses for the Fellows related to the hotel, travel and the breakfasts and lunches while attending the NYU Summer Institute and the Washington, DC Institute are paid by the fellowship. The Fellows or their employers are expected to pay expenses to attend the association annual meetings.

Note that the first three years of the program were supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Other partners have included  AMGEN, Inc., Ortho Biotech, Pzifer Inc, Ortho Biotech,  Aetna Foundation, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, the New York Academy of Medicine, and the National Hispanic Medical Association.

NHMA is now accepting applications for the Leadership Fellowship Class of 2010. To download an application, please click here.

ALUMNI:

List of 2006 Fellows

List of 2004 Fellows

List of 2003 Fellows

List of 2001 Fellows

List of 2000 Fellows

List of 1999 Fellows