The Hispanic Alliance and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System to gather healthcare community to discuss study’s finding barriers to quality care among Greenville’s Hispanic population

On June 4 at 9:00 am at the Greenville ONE Center, Upstate medical professionals will come together at Allied4Health, a free, one-hour event presented by Hispanic Alliance and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System to discuss the findings of a research study around the healthcare needs of Greenville’s Hispanic community and resources for improving their quality of care. Anyone interested may RSVP at: HispanicAllianceSC.com/allied-register.

“Healthcare is a critical element of quality of life, and this event will allow us to examine recent data collected from Hispanic residents of Greenville County and have a guided discussion around both the disparities they’re experiencing and how we can help service providers and partners work together to close those gaps” explained Adela Mendoza, Executive Director of the Hispanic Alliance. “One in every ten people currently living in Greenville County is Hispanic, and that number is expected to grow by 50% in the years ahead. It’s critical for us as a community to understand what barriers are keeping Hispanic families from fully benefiting from our area’s exceptional healthcare facilities so that we can help systems evolve to lessen and eliminate as many of these as possible moving forward.”

The research study, entitled “Greenville Hispanic Health Study (GH2S),” has been a joint effort among the Hispanic Alliance, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Piedmont Health Foundation, and Clemson University in seeking to understand the “broader experiences of Hispanics” by focusing on the areas of “mental health, routine healthcare seeking behaviors, and perceptions of culturally competent care among Hispanics living in Greenville County.”

Attendees of the Allied4Health event will enjoy a complimentary breakfast over networking from 8:30 to 9:00 am, followed by the program of the presentation of the findings of the “Greenville Hispanic Health Study (GH2S)” and a panel question and answer discussion moderated by Suzie Foley, Executive Director of the Greenville Free Medical Clinic. Panelists include:

• Angelica Perez-Litwin, PhD, MBA, Psychologist and Career Coach at the Lumin Center,
• Wayne Fraleigh, PT, DPT, MBA, OCS, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System,
• Norma Jean-Suarez, Executive Director of Unity Health on Main,
• Shannon Owen, Masters in Health Administration, Lecturer, Clemson University, and
• Vanessa Rodriguez, Community Action Coordinator, Hispanic Alliance and LiveWell Greenville

Allied4Health is the second of three thought-sharing events in the Hispanic Alliance’s 2024 Allied4SC series. The first event, Allied4Work presented in partnership with Ten at the Top, took place in Greenville in March to explore opportunities to engage the growing Hispanic workforce in building a thriving economy in the Upstate. The third and final event, Allied4Art, is scheduled to take place in Charleston this August and will offer an exhibit featuring works by Hispanic artists, followed by a learning session to dissect the state of the arts within the Hispanic community and focus on challenges, opportunities, and strategies for advancement.

About the Hispanic Alliance

The Hispanic Alliance is the largest convener of ideas, individuals, and institutions collaborating to advance Hispanic communities across South Carolina. With the mission of fostering collaboration and connectivity among people, resources, and cultures to build thriving communities, the Hispanic Alliance envisions a vibrant and inclusive community where everyone has access to opportunities for success and prosperity. It builds trust with Hispanic communities by speaking their languages, promoting their culture, and understanding and addressing their needs. It helps its partner agencies serve the local Hispanic population in a culturally, linguistically and socially appropriate way. The Hispanic Alliance is a nonpartisan organization that faithfully advocates for diversity, equality, acceptance, understanding, and embracing the American dream. For more information, visit HispanicAllianceSC.com.