Arizona Public Health Association Annual Meeting
September 17, 1986

WHEREAS, there are 502,000 Hispanics in the State of Arizona, comprising 17 percent of the state’s population; and

WHEREAS, 63 percent of Arizona Hispanics speak Spanish at home, indicating their preference or necessity to function in Spanish; and

WHEREAS, persons receiving medical care have a right to informed consent, so as to understand the treatment, alternatives, risks and benefits; and

WHEREAS, hospitalization for illness, accident or surgery can be particularly alienating and frightening for those who don’t speak English;

THEREFORE, the Arizona Public Health Association resolves to:

1. Urge hospitals and other health care providers in Arizona to recruit Spanish-speaking professional staff;

2. Urge hospitals and other health care providers to have Spanish interpreters with some medical training on duty, if there is a lack of Spanish-speaking health professionals;

3. Encourage health care providers to establish Spanish language training for non-Spanish speaking staff;

4. Encourage Spanish-speaking persons to enter the health field.

5. Send a copy of this resolution to hospital clinic administrators statewide and to Governor and the Population data from Phoenix/Tucson Latin Market Study by Strategy Research Corporation, 1985.

104~1986(1) Support of bilingual health care providers (education, spanish, healthcare)