CMA calls for additional efforts to increase the number of Latino physicians to better serve Californians.

Across the country, Latino patients are faced with significant health care barriers, leading to poorer health outcomes and inequalities. According to Pew Research, Hispanic Americans are less likely to have health insurance or to have a primary care physician, while almost one-third prefer to see a Spanish-speaking health care provider.

While Latinos constitute over 40% of California’s population, our Latino physicians make up only 6% of the total physician workforce. Latina physicians constitute only 2% of the workforce, compared to the 36% of women physicians in California.

Research has also shown that patients who encounter language barriers are more likely to experience worse health outcomes. And a recent study found that Latino physicians are much more likely to accept Medicaid, adding to previous findings that minority physicians are likelier to practice in underserved communities.

Just this year, the California Assembly passed a resolution to mark October 1 as California Latino and Latina Physician Day to celebrate the contribution of Latino physicians and increase awareness about the health care workforce shortage, especially among Latino physicians.

According to the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative at UCLA, if we continue on the current trajectory, it will take 50 years to address the Latino physician shortage.

"After the centuries-long contribution of Latinos in support of this state and its growth to an economy that rivals or exceeds almost all nations, the time is now to assure the health and wellbeing of Latino communities,” said Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., California Medical Association (CMA) Immediate Past President. “Creating a physician pipeline that reflects the diversity of California will create a more just, equitable, affordable and accessible health care system that serves all our communities.”

CMA is working to improve access to care for Latinos and increase our Latino workforce by:

• Supporting Proposition 35 on the November ballot, which will support access to health care for Latino residents and invest in our health care workforce. Read more: Latino Groups Urge Voter Support for Proposition 35
• Supporting physician workforce grants administered by its philanthropic arm, Physicians for a Healthy California, to support graduate medical education and physician loan repayment
• Supporting AB 2080 by Assemblymembers Joaquin Arambula, M.D., and Eduardo Garcia to ensure medical school enrollment data is shared.