On Saturday, October 13, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Univision's Raul de Molina (El Gordo) along with SOMOS Community Care held a State of Latino Health Public Forum & Health Fair in the Main Theater of the Hostos Community College Center for the Arts and Culture. Hostos President David Gómez offered greetings and opening remarks followed by a panel discussion featuring Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and other Latino leaders, a variety of medical professionals, and Hostos' Student Health Services Director, Fabian Wander.
Panelists discussed the unique health challenges faced by Latinos in the Bronx and New York City as outlined in the recently released report, State of Latino Health in New York City, the first city-wide study and poll of Latino patients and doctors designed to directly inform policymakers, "I am proud to say that at Hostos Community College we are training the future health educators and practictioners who come from the same communities reflected in this report. These students will be culturally competent, are bilingual and able to address those gaps in service needs for the people in New York City," said Wander.
A community health fair then took place in the Center's main lobby making available free health screenings, exams and flu shots to hundreds of Bronxites. Raul de Molina (El Gordo) was administered his flu shot by Dr. Ramon Tallaj, Chairman of the Board of SOMOS Community Care.
Learn more about the public forum
here.