NHCOA CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON TAKING STAKE IN THE HEALTHCARE DEBATE, SHAPING COMMON AGING AGENDA

Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee, NHCOA President and CEO Dr. Yanira Cruz to address conference participants

Washington, DC — The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA), the leading non-profit organization in the nation advocating on behalf of Hispanic older adults for the last 30 years, heads into its second day of conference by continuing the dialogue on the healthcare reform and its impact on Hispanic older adults, the fastest-growing older adult population in the nation. Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee will address participants at a breakfast titled A Conversation on Healthcare: Our Nation’s Priority.  The breakfast will focus on the healthcare issues most important to Hispanic older adults and their caregivers, including access to health care, plans for reducing health disparities through Public Health programs, workforce shortages, and the need for culturally, linguistically, and age-sensitive care. She will also discuss ways to work collectively and with other communities to ensure the healthcare system meets the needs of all aging Americans.

In the afternoon, NHCOA President and CEO Dr. Yanira Cruz will highlight the state of older Hispanic adults in the U.S., including areas in which the Latino community has made great progress. Given that the minority older adult population is expected to increase by 219% and will represent 25.4% of the U.S. elder population by 2030, she will provide practical suggestions on how to collectively build a brighter future not only for the Latino community, but for the entire nation.

The NHCOA annual conference is uniting more than 600 community leaders, Hispanic older adults, community-based organizations, lawmakers, academics, and key shareholders in Washington, DC to spark national dialogue on the issues impacting aging Americans, particularly those in the Hispanic community.

MEDIA ALERT

WHO:      Kathy Greenlee  Assistant Secretary for Aging

Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and CEO, National Hispanic Council on Aging              (NHCOA)

WHAT:     Breakfast – A Conversation on Healthcare: Our Nation’s Priority Keynote: Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee

Luncheon – Working Together For a Common Aging Agenda

Keynote: Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and CEO NHCOA

Keynote addresses by Assistant Kathy Greenlee  and NHCOA President and CEO Dr. Yanira Cruz on health care and the Hispanic aging agenda

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

WHEN:     8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m.

Washington Marriott at Metro Center, Grand Ballroom ABCD

WHERE:    775 12th St. NW, Washington, DC