About Us

The Hispanic Health Coalition (HHC) is a non-profit 501c(3) organization established since 1996. The mission of the HHC is to advance the overall health of Houston’s Hispanic community through education, advocacy and research. The vision of HHC: is to be the premier coalition in Houston to improve health and to eradicate health disparities in the Hispanic community. The Hispanic Health Coalition has been a reliable resource, information source and voice for Houston’s Hispanics and those who serve them. Operating under an active board of directors comprised of health educators and researchers, academia and health professionals, the HHC carries out its mission. The Hispanic Health Coalition employs a program coordinator and University of Houston health interns and involves volunteers who in addition to the HHC board of directors and members are responsible for the deliverance and evaluation of health education programs.

Through funding from the Livestrong Foundation and in partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Hispanic Health Coalition provided cancer education to Hispanic lay health workers. By educating lay health workers, we have been able to reach a broader sector of the population and increase our educational and outreach scope. This program has been very successful.  Furthermore, the Hispanic Health Coalition and University of Houston partnered with the University of Texas MD. Anderson Center to implement With Love We Learn! (Con Amor Aprendemos!) to educate Hispanic/Latino couples about HPV and cervical cancer.

The HHC has also partnered with the University of Houston (UH) BOUNCE Healthy Lifestyle Program to promote healthy eating and exercise in Hispanic and African American families since 2005. The UH BOUNCE program has been successful in educating over 250 families about the risks of obesity in developing cancer, among other health problems, and the benefits of both physical activity and diet modification through education and counseling.  UH BOUNCE has organized healthy lifestyle summer and after school programs, workshops for parents, school principals, and teachers to promote healthy eating and physical activity in their schools and communities. For the past three years, UH BOUNCE in partnership with HHC has encouraged families to organize community events such as walkathons. The BOUNCE program has been recognized as one of the most innovative nutrition and physical activity programs in Texas by the Texas Public Health Association in 2006.  Results from these programs revealed a 2.5% reduction of body fat and 5 cm in waist circumferences as well as 80% of participants meeting physical activity guidelines.

 In partnership with the Foundation of Modern Arts and UH BOUNCE and with sponsorship with the City of Houston Arts Alliance, the Hispanic Health Coalition held a Salsa y Salud (Health) project to promote Salsa as a way to be active. The Salsa y Salud involved over 80 dancers and musical artists who performed at the Miller Theater. Over 2,500 individuals of all ages and ethnicity attended this event.  For the past five years, the Hispanic Health Coalition has been responsible for organizing community-based fitness fairs named Get Up Get Moving! to promote healthy eating and physical activity in the Hispanic community involving over 200 major Houston and Harris County health agencies, business, hospitals, dentists, academia, nurses, dietitians, exercise and fitness experts (e.g., UnitedHealth Care, Texas Children’s Hospital, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Neighborhood Centers Initiative, and Harris County Hospital District).  In addition, several academic institutions have participated actively in organizing and delivering of Get Up Get Moving!  These included the University of Houston, Health Program, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas School of Public Health, University of Texas A & M. Throughout these fitness festivals sponsored by the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, we have been able to reach over 6,000 Hispanics from the Houston 2nd Ward neighborhood.