Hispanic or Latino Health Channel
Stand Up for Your Health®

Welcome to Health Power's Hispanic or Latino Channel. As you know, both terms are used by many persons of this heritage as well as organizations that serve them. The overall group includes Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Cubans, Dominicans, and many persons from Central and South America. The term Hispanic, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, refers to Spanish-speaking people in the United States of any race

According to the Census Bureau from 1990 to 2000, the Hispanic population increased by 57.9 percent - from 22.4 million to 35.3 million. It is estimated that by the year 2030, Latino youth will represent 26% of the 83 million youth in the United States.

Our Hispanic/Latino Channel Editors

Brenda Lee Huerta is an Editor of the Health Power Hispanic Health Channel, and a member of Health Power's Professional Advisory Council.
A native Texan from the Lubbock area, her background is in media and politics, beginning with radio at the age of 5 and television and politics in her teens. Ms. Huerta has continued her ties to television, radio, and the print media throughout her life, even when she worked in government in different capacities, including work with a U.S. Senator, a Texas Governor and the Texas Legislature.

Huerta is the News/Community Relations Director and Univision.com Site Manager with Univision Radio. She is based in the Río Grande Valley. The Associated Press, AP Managing Editors, The Dallas Press Club, Texas Association of Broadcasters, National Association of Broadcasters, federal and state officials, and numerous non-profit organizations have honored Brenda for her on- and off-air work within the community. She serves on numerous local, state and national boards and commissions, as an officer and in an advisory capacity.

Her schedule allows for 4 hours of sleep each night - but, any chance she gets, she golfs, does ceramics, quilts or simply reads a good book, oh, yes and sleeps.

Martha Sanchez is an Editor of the Health Power Hispanic Channel and a member of its Professional Advisory Council.
She is also Program Director for the Northern Manhattan Start Right Coalition, Heilbrunn Center for Population and Family Health of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. In this capacity, she oversees a major U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded Reach 2010 Program. Prior positions held by her include Program Manager of the Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership, a Central Harlem Healthy Start Project; Assistant Project Director of the National Development and Research Institute, (NDRI); and Research Coordinator for AIDS Programs of the New York City Department of Health. Ms. Sanchez, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, earned her BA degree in Psychology from Lehman College, the City University of New York, and her MA degree in Health Education from Teacher's College, Columbia University.

Elena Rios, M.D., Editor, Health Power Hispanic/Latino Channel and Member of its Professional Advisory Council
Dr. Rios serves as President & CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association, (NHMA), representing Hispanic physicians in the United States. The mission of the organization is to improve the health of Hispanics. Dr. Rios also serves as President of NHMA’s National Hispanic Health Foundation at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, to direct educational and research activities.

Dr. Rios also serves on the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda and the Partnerships for Prevention Boards of Directors, the American Medical Association Commission on Ethnic/Racial Health Disparities, and is Co-Chair for the Hispanic Health Coalition. Dr. Rios has lectured and published articles on health policy.