Developing a Latino health agenda through a community-based participatory process: The experience of the Latino Health Initiative in Montgomery County, Maryland

The influx of Latinos into Montgomery County, Maryland over the past two decades has helped transform the county into one of the most diverse counties in the State. As the Latino population continues to grow, County services must be able to respond to the health needs of its rapidly changing population. The Latino Health Initiative of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services has engaged in an extensive and intensive participatory community approach over a period of eighteen months to develop a policy agenda. Over one hundred community stakeholders participated in developing this agenda which integrates social determinants of health to set priorities judged crucial to improving the health of Latinos in Montgomery County.

This community-based process provided an opportunity for the community to look with a critical eye at past achievements of the County in improving Latino health. It also highlighted the importance of crafting a policy agenda to guide successful interventions in the Latino community. Key experts and dedicated community stakeholders provided their leadership to turn well made plans and good intentions into concrete actions, strategies, and programs. The process emphasized the need to develop indicators that can more precisely measure outcomes and help monitor progress to chart success. This presentation will discuss the process that culminated in a Latino health policy agenda that can be used both as a vehicle to inform policy and decision-makers about systemic issues that determine the health of entire population groups, and to mobilize the Latino community to participate in the processes and decisions of the health and public health care systems.