Recommendations for Expanded University Activity

the University of California already possesses substantial resources which can be directed toward increased research, teaching and public service activity in the area of Latino health. These resources should be mobilized, and additional funding provided where necessary, towards the following:

1. Centralize and/or coordinate accessible Latino health data sets now found in the Chicano Studies Library at UCLA, UCB, and the Spanish Speaking Mental Health Research Center at UCLA.

2. Promote faculty research in the areas identified in this report, and especially collaborative research with Mexican health scientists, through the provision of research funds, research fellowships at predoctoral, postdoctoral and senior levels, and conferences and seminars.

3. Health sciences schools should evaluate the presence of Latino health issues in the health sciences curriculum, and where necessary develop new courses which will prepare health sciences professionals to improve Latino health care.

4. It is essential to increase research and curriculum development that the Health Sciences schools improve immediately their abilities to attract Latino faculty, graduate students and postdoctorals. A new emphasis on Latino health research will have an impact on recruitment of Latinos to these schools.

5. The University must thoughtfully consider its role in the provision of health care to low-income populations and recognize that current trends towards service to insured or high-income patients in University hospitals and clinics are a serious health threat to a large portion of the California population. A University of California committee should be established to address the interface between the Latino population and the University of California as a provider of health care. A Universitywide commitment to serve the low-income and indigent population must be supported by State and local funding appropriate to the responsibilities those agencies hold for the provision of health services to the population.

6. lmprovement of both the delivery of health care services to dispersed populations of rural areas and the training of health sciences professionals can be accomplished by training rotations in the University's affiliated rural facilities.

Coordinated Latino health policy activities have begun, stimulated in part by the activities of SCR 43. The group of Latino health policy experts gathered for the preparation of this section of the SCR 43 report decided to formalize its existence and has continued to meet and work together. The group includes faculty from the Los Angeles, San Francisco, Davis, San Diego, Irvine, and Berkeley campuses of the University, and the University of Southern California and Stanford. Advisory committees have been established with representation from agencies such as altamed Northeast Valley Medical Center, El Centro del Pueblo, Cara A Cara, El Centro Human Services Corporation, East L. A. Rape Hotline, Los Angeles County Health Department, Kaiser, White Memorial Hospital, the Chicano/Latino Medical Student Association and others. A number of research, curriculum development, outreach and continuing education projects have been initiated, and two major conferences planned for 1989. Although most of these activities are now centralized in the Los Angeles region, a coordinated Statewide effort is the desired outcome.