In 1973, a small group of Hispanic mental health professionals from throughout the nation gathered in Los Angeles to confront a growing crisis in the treatment of Hispanics by the mental health system. Hispanics were facing open hostility from health institutions, being turned away for services if they spoke Spanish, and being subjected to misdiagnoses and unnecessary institutionalization. There was a pressing need to have a national voice for the health concerns of Hispanics. The response was to establish the Coalition of Spanish Speaking Mental Health Organizations (COSSMHO) known today as the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance).

During the next three decades, the work of the Alliance expanded while the organization kept to its core principles:

1. Dedication to community-based solutions;

2. Representation of all Hispanic groups; and,

3. Refusal to accept funding from alcohol or tobacco companies.

The strength and credibility of the Alliance increased based on its programs and record of early and strategic leadership during critical times in the history of health services in the United States. For example, the Alliance was the first national Hispanic voice on HIV / AIDS; a leading voice on solutions for covering the uninsured; a founder of the field of cultural proficiency in health care; an early advocate for women’s health; the first to es tablish an Internet-based network dedicated to Hispanic issues; a champion of the interdependence of the environment and health; a promoter of the concept of comprehensive health, i.e., inclusive of body, mind, and spirit; a landmark researcher on Hispanic health; and, the ca talyst for the publication of the first mainstream health journal (APHA Journal) issue devoted to Hispanic health.

The Alliance is the foremost national resource on Hispanic health issues. As the nation’s oldest and largest network of Hispanic health and human service providers, the Alliance’s membership delivers culturally proficient and linguistically appropriate health and human services to over 100 million persons every year. The Alliance is the critical force in moving the agenda of Hispanic health into the mainstream of health care services and policy. The Alliance’s leadership and advocacy bring the experience of Hispanic communities to the forefront of health policy shaping a new paradigm of health.

Today, the Alliance stands at the nexus of a new century of health defined by a more diverse and aging population, the growing impact of chronic illness and disease, the capacity of health services to focus on more individualized treatment, and the necessity to address health across borders. In this time of scientific advancements and rapidly changing health systems, it is more important than ever to ensure a strong and effective Hispanic perspective.

The Alliance brings a new kind of leadership to bear on health care by implementing effective and innovative services through the Alliance’s four program centers: Consumers; Providers; Science and Policy; and,Technology. Additionally, the Alliance works to encourage philanthropy and support philanthropic activities on behalf of Hispanic communities.