00:00 - Come back and say, I love you, daddy.

00:04 - Charlie. Down the night.

00:06 - Welcome to the fourth statewide Latino Health Summit.

00:11 - Please welcome our master of ceremonies,

00:14 - Elena Ola Varia.

00:17 - Latina.

00:18 - You got you got you, got you, got you.

00:20 - Good morning everyone.

00:24 - How are we feeling today?

00:27 - That's what I like to hear.

00:28 - Good morning to each and every one of you.

00:30 - And good morning to our folks who are watching us live from their homes.

00:34 - It is an absolute honor for me to stand before you

00:38 - and officially welcome you to the fourth annual Latina

00:41 - Health Summit

00:44 - here in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

00:47 - I am very excited to stand before you as

00:50 - we embark on this transformational journey together.

00:53 - Today we gather as a united force, ready to empower

00:58 - Latino communities and to champion health and wellness for all.

01:02 - And as we kick of this momentous occasion, I really want to encourage you

01:06 - to open your minds, open your hearts, and really get the most

01:10 - of this experience, get the most of this event.

01:13 - This is why we're here. We're here to learn.

01:15 - We're here to make connections.

01:16 - And we're here to have fun.

01:18 - And now, without further ado, allow me to welcome to the stage

01:23 - a visionary leader who I admire and whose passion and commitment

01:27 - has been instrumental in bringing us all together here.

01:31 - Please welcome to the stage the president and CEO of Color and Culture, Mr.

01:37 - George Fernandez.

01:39 - So here to are.

01:42 - This group that I want Oscar de la la la la la la la la la la la

01:49 - la. When I'm Diaz.

01:54 - Wow, this room looks stunning from up here.

01:56 - I'm so happy that we're finally here.

02:00 - I'm happy to have some amazing steamed guests joining us today.

02:03 - I'm excited that the event is over.

02:06 - Sold!

02:07 - How amazing is that?

02:08 - This event is over and sold like a Delta plane.

02:11 - Yes, I love it.

02:13 - So good morning, Buenos Diaz.

02:15 - Ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor to officially

02:17 - welcome you to the fourth annual statewide Latino Health Summit.

02:21 - This is a date that I've been looking forward to

02:24 - since we selected Lehigh Valley as our host location for 2024.

02:28 - What a fantastic host you have already been.

02:31 - I'd like to first acknowledge

02:32 - the people and partnerships who have made this event possible.

02:36 - Thank you so much to our colleagues and friends at Aetna

02:39 - for being our presenting title sponsor for this amazing event.

02:43 - Our colleagues and friends at Geisinger

02:45 - and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, thank you

02:48 - so much for believing in this event and for valuing the impact

02:52 - that we are making on health for our most vulnerable populations.

02:57 - For those in the room who do not yet know my story, I'd like to share

03:01 - the very humble beginnings that ignited my passion

03:04 - and fueled my drive for initiatives like the Latino Health Summit.

03:08 - At eight years old, I immigrated from the Dominican Republic

03:11 - and to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with my single mother, who is a survivor

03:15 - of domestic violence and spoke no English.

03:18 - I had to quickly adapt to the American language and culture

03:21 - to help my family navigate and survive this enormous transition.

03:26 - Picture this at an age or most kids can live a carefree life.

03:30 - I was the male leader in my family, learning how to break through

03:33 - the social barriers that made daily living a constant struggle.

03:40 - I had to translate and communicate for my family

03:43 - and essentially help them advocate for their basic needs,

03:46 - all while facing the climaxing challenges of a truly broken system where my family

03:52 - never qualified for social assistance programs as we were not yet U.S.

03:56 - citizens.

03:58 - This formative experience made me relentlessly,

04:01 - relentlessly passionate about helping vulnerable

04:04 - and underserved populations by giving them every opportunity

04:09 - to access resources

04:11 - and education that elevate their quality of life.

04:14 - And this is exactly what we are doing here today.

04:17 - Over the last six years, the Latino Health Summit has made an impact on thousands

04:21 - of lives across the Commonwealth, and we're just at the beginning

04:25 - of what is now a legacy of impact that this event is already creating.

04:30 - And here's truly the best part.

04:32 - It's you.

04:33 - You are now a part of this legacy too.

04:35 - Whether this is your first or fourth Latino Health Summit, you have taken

04:39 - the important step of showing up and walking the talk.

04:43 - And for that, I am immensely grateful.

04:46 - This year, I am proud to say that we are pushing beyond limits.

04:50 - We are fueling a revolution of change, built upon pillars of empowerment,

04:54 - where individuals are inspired to embrace their potential

04:57 - and take charge of their health and wellness.

05:00 - It's a revolution of advocacy, where unheard voices are amplified

05:04 - and systemic injustices are confronted head on.

05:09 - Moreover, it's a revolution of solidarity,

05:12 - uniting us to ensure that every Latino in the Commonwealth

05:15 - receives a care, support and the opportunities they deserve.

05:20 - And at the very core of this revolution lies the power of inspiration to defy

05:25 - all the odds, to challenge the status quo and to effect meaningful change.

05:30 - Each and every one of you gathered here

05:32 - today is a testament to that power.

05:36 - Your dedication, your passion, your unwavering commitment

05:40 - inspire us all to reach greater heights, to push harder and to dream bigger.

05:46 - But friends, let us also remember that the true revolution

05:49 - is not born out of one individual's efforts alone.

05:53 - It is born out of unity, of coming together as a collective force for good.

05:58 - Today, as we engage in dialog, exchange ideas, and forge partnerships,

06:03 - let us do so with a spirit of collaboration and cooperation.

06:08 - Let us harness the strength of our diversity to fuel the flames of change.

06:13 - I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this initiative,

06:16 - but I am equally inspired and grateful to each and every single one of you,

06:21 - our advocates, our healthcare professionals,

06:24 - our sponsors, our speakers, and our community leaders.

06:28 - You are truly

06:29 - a remarkable group of individuals, each with your own sphere of influence.

06:34 - My charge to you today is this

06:37 - as you enjoy the conversations,

06:39 - networking and presentations at this year's Latino Health Summit.

06:43 - Carefully consider how your influence can align with our shared mission.

06:48 - We are all uniquely equipped to make an impact.

06:52 - Can you provide funding and resources?

06:54 - Can you create job opportunities?

06:56 - Can you advocate for change?

06:58 - And can you make a seat at the table for the underserved populations

07:02 - to be better represented?

07:04 - Can you speak up against unconscious bias and systemic racism

07:08 - and other uncomfortable topics that are all too often avoided?

07:13 - I know it's a tall order.

07:14 - Believe me, I know because I've been in that room.

07:17 - But I also know that you are here because you are a change maker.

07:20 - So together, let's ignite change.

07:23 - It starts here and it starts today.

07:26 - And before I close, I would like to recognize and celebrate the incredible,

07:30 - the incredible work of my amazing team at Latino Connection and Color

07:35 - and culture and its staff and the vendors who are the heart and soul of this event.

07:40 - You have poured countless hours into making this initiative a complete

07:44 - success, and I am deeply indebted to your commitment and dedication.

07:49 - And please know you are changing lives.

07:51 - You are making impact far beyond what you may see today.

07:55 - I'm thrilled for our amazing partners.

07:57 - This event is being televised by PCN Pennsylvania Cable News

08:00 - Network, reaching 2.5 million Pennsylvania households.

08:04 - And I'm really excited that it all starts here today.

08:08 - I'm excited to see our next speakers.

08:10 - I'm excited to see the secretary panel.

08:12 - Really happy to have some amazing speakers lined up for you today, and I can't wait

08:16 - to see the public and private partnerships that will come together from this event.

08:19 - Thank you so much.

08:20 - Gracias, and welcome to the fourth annual Statewide Latino Health Summit.

08:28 - And now we welcome to the stage doctor F Miguel

08:31 - Fernandez, chief medical officer at Nat Better

08:34 - Health.

08:40 - In the battle lobby.

08:42 - Good morning everyone.

08:43 - One of this.

08:44 - And welcome to the Latino Summit.

08:47 - George, I can't tell you how thankful and how honored I am to be asked to say

08:51 - a few words on behalf of the summit and on behalf of and at a better health.

08:57 - you asked me last night to share a little bit

09:00 - of my personal story, so I'll do that yesterday.

09:04 - is a day that I always usually celebrate privately with my sisters.

09:09 - it is a day that, you know, of of great pride.

09:14 - It's the day that my mother and father escaped Cuba.

09:17 - from Castro's regime.

09:18 - To give our family an opportunity for a better life here in America.

09:22 - So, I am the first one in my family to graduate

09:26 - from high school, from college, and let alone have an advanced degree.

09:30 - So very, very much intent on

09:33 - not letting the toils and sacrifice and the risk that my parents took

09:38 - to bring us to freedom, to go to waste.

09:41 - So with that said, I am the regional chief

09:44 - medical officer for Aetna Better Health in the northeast.

09:47 - I assume that role about four, six months ago.

09:51 - working closely with, Jeremy Monroe, who is a fantastic leader for the region,

09:57 - in an effort to really change the landscape

10:00 - of how we, are caring for our underserved communities.

10:05 - You know, we

10:05 - talk a lot about what the problems are.

10:09 - We don't talk enough about what solutions are.

10:12 - And my goal and my job is to bring solutions,

10:16 - but do it in a way that transcends across not only medical

10:21 - but behavioral, social determinant, health equity.

10:24 - As a son of an immigrant family in Northeast Florida,

10:28 - I lived that experience.

10:30 - I know what it's like

10:31 - to not have things and want things and have basic needs not met.

10:36 - I know the toil and the struggle and the pain and the anguish that occurs

10:41 - when you're trying to do these things and you just feel

10:45 - like there is no open door.

10:48 - That's one of the reasons I decided to go into health care, and then later

10:51 - transitioned into managed care, because I knew that in my practice

10:56 - I was doing retail medicine, I could help 20 or 30 patients a day.

11:00 - That's all I could do

11:03 - on the managed care side.

11:04 - I build programs, I do population health programs.

11:08 - I can do wholesale medicine

11:10 - and do things that help thousands of people at the same time.

11:13 - So very proud of the opportunity to do that kind of work.

11:17 - And I know that with the sponsorship and the partnership, we have with,

11:23 - the Latino connection and the summit, it's something that we're very proud of.

11:28 - It's something that is core to our beliefs

11:31 - in alignment to help our underserved communities.

11:35 - It's a big deal.

11:36 - It needs to be treated like a big deal.

11:38 - It needs to have not only the recognition, but

11:41 - the funding, the muscle and the attention behind it to make a difference.

11:45 - There are too many people that are suffering, languishing with

11:51 - health care right at their fingertips,

11:53 - but they can't make that last little jump to to solve their problems.

11:57 - That is a sin.

11:59 - Honestly, that is just a sin.

12:01 - And we need to do everything in our power to improve that.

12:06 - Our job is to provide sponsorships so that these great events can occur.

12:11 - And if you look around, one of the things I'm very proud of is theCUBE.

12:15 - Have you seen theCUBE?

12:16 - Can't miss it right?

12:17 - What a phenomenal.

12:19 - you know, testament to the dedication

12:22 - and the support we have for the Latino Summit.

12:25 - So I know that, I only have a few minutes,

12:27 - but I wanted to, let you know that later on, I will be on the panel,

12:31 - talking about malnutrition and food as medicine.

12:34 - It's, probably the most important thing that someone

12:38 - needs in terms of their Maslow's hierarchy of basic needs.

12:42 - You can't address psychological needs.

12:46 - You can't address physical, needs.

12:49 - You can't address employment, socialization.

12:52 - You know, if you don't have basic needs, met food, water, shelter,

12:56 - you know, those types of things.

12:58 - And too many of our people, too many of our Latino brothers and sisters,

13:02 - regardless of whether they came from somewhere else and immigrated here

13:06 - or were born here, are still prisoners, even though they're in a free country.

13:11 - They're prisoners because they don't have access to health care like they should,

13:15 - and they don't have access to the basic needs that they need to have.

13:19 - Our goal in partnership with your organization is to help fix that.

13:24 - So, know that we are dedicated, we are committed,

13:28 - and we are very, very proud and honored to be a sponsor.

13:30 - And I personally am thrilled

13:33 - and honored to be, invited to be part of this organization.

13:36 - Thank you very much.

13:42 - It's time to put

13:43 - a different spin on how healthier really happens,

13:46 - because when it comes to being healthier, it's more than you do you.

13:49 - And she does she the real secret baby, is how we do doing

13:55 - healthy is not something that happens on long.

13:59 - It takes Greg and Lydia and Josie on the phone.

14:02 - It's Grammy getting checked on in her favorite chair,

14:06 - or dolling herself up to go handle all of her children with me.

14:11 - I had so much to do.

14:15 - She doesn't even know where to start.

14:18 - There's a sweet surprise there to warm her heart

14:23 - up. Doctors and nurses and all the people in between.

14:27 - Healthier happens in more ways.

14:29 - Been raised ever since.

14:31 - From mental health to superpower, stealth

14:34 - or jumping off line just to make sure they're fine.

14:37 - Healthier happens together.

14:42 - Our next guest

14:43 - is an award for educator and author, trusted partner in the Latino

14:47 - community, and board chairwoman for the Latino Connection Foundation.

14:51 - Please welcome to the stage doctor, Sara Ramirez. I.

15:02 - See us.

15:03 - Hello.

15:06 - Good morning everyone.

15:08 - I'm Doctor Ramirez.

15:10 - and I'm very honored to be here.

15:14 - and to be the board chairwoman for the Latino Connection Foundation.

15:19 - yeah.

15:23 - And for the board members who are currently here, I'd love

15:26 - for you to stand up.

15:27 - I know Amber is out there somewhere.

15:31 - so I'd like to welcome continue the welcoming this morning.

15:35 - And it is my absolute honor to welcome you to the fourth annual

15:39 - Latino Health Summit hosted by Latino Connection today.

15:43 - As previous speakers have said, we're gathering not just to discuss

15:47 - the future of health care in our communities,

15:49 - but to celebrate a milestone that marks a significant leap forward

15:55 - into our mission to empower underserved populations.

15:58 - And the Latino Connection Foundation was founded in late 2022.

16:04 - So we're young, it's and we're driven by a vision of a world

16:08 - where everyone, regardless of their background or economic status,

16:12 - has access to essential services that uplift and support their well-being.

16:17 - Our commitment to this vision has recently been recognized

16:21 - through our certification as a Community Housing Development Organization,

16:26 - otherwise known as Todo a distinguish, a distinction

16:30 - that speaks volumes about our dedication, expertise,

16:34 - and the trust placed in us by our community and partners.

16:38 - Achieving this certification is no small feat, and it positions us

16:43 - at the UN as the only Chipotle certified affordable nonprofit in Dauphin County.

16:49 - This is a testament to our unwavering commitment to not just meet,

16:53 - but exceed the highest standards of community development and support.

16:58 - This certification opens new doors for us

17:01 - to expand our impact, particularly in the realm of affordable housing.

17:05 - It empowers us to create spaces where families can thrive, where seniors

17:10 - can live with dignity, and where children can grow in a safe and loving home.

17:16 - It is a pivotal step forward to realizing our broader mission of enhancing access

17:22 - to health care, affordable housing and economic development.

17:26 - Opportunity for Latino and other minority groups throughout Pennsylvania.

17:32 - Our projects, whether their focus on health services,

17:35 - affordable housing initiatives or economic development programs,

17:38 - are designed with the community at heart.

17:43 - They're not just initiatives.

17:45 - They're lifelines for the individuals and families they serve.

17:50 - They're beacons of hope in our collective effort to dismantle

17:54 - barriers that prevent our communities from accessing the care,

17:57 - support and opportunities they so rightfully deserve.

18:01 - And as we move forward, let us take a moment to reflect

18:06 - on the significance of our gathering here today.

18:10 - All of you here today are contributing your passion to these shared initiatives.

18:16 - The Latino Health Summit is more than just an event.

18:19 - It's a manifestation of all of your collective strengths,

18:24 - all of your passions, and resolve to create a healthier,

18:27 - more equitable future for all.

18:31 - It's a platform for sharing ideas,

18:34 - forging partnerships, and drawing inspiration from one another.

18:38 - As we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.

18:41 - And I challenge all of you this morning to enjoy the summit, but also forge

18:47 - new relationships and partnerships, and network and share in your passions.

18:52 - I want to extend my deepest gratitude

18:54 - to every one of you for joining us in this journey.

18:58 - Your presence here today is a powerful reminder

19:01 - of the impact we can achieve when we come together,

19:05 - united by a common purpose, driven by a shared vision.

19:09 - Together we are mark making history.

19:12 - Together we are building a legacy of empowerment,

19:16 - of inclusion, of progress.

19:19 - I want to thank all of you for being such

19:22 - an integral part of this transformative journey.

19:26 - And as we chart the path forward,

19:29 - we invite you to join us in a deeper partnership across our three

19:34 - core areas health services and affordable housing and economic development.

19:39 - If you or your organization are passionate about these

19:43 - and making a tangible difference in these vital sectors,

19:47 - we are welcoming the opportunity to collaborate with you.

19:52 - Your expertise, your resources, your vision can amplify our efforts

19:56 - and help us reach new heights in serving our communities.

20:01 - Please reach out to us

20:03 - at our at Amber Borelli

20:06 - at Latino Connection Walk I apologize

20:09 - AB rally at Latino Connections at org to help explore

20:14 - how we can work together to create lasting change,

20:19 - whether it's through collaborative projects,

20:21 - sharing our resources, or any form support.

20:24 - Every contribution matters and every contribution counts.

20:28 - Let's harness our collective strengths and build

20:31 - healthier, more sustainable and equitable communities for all.

20:35 - We look forward to your partnership and the remarkable journey that lies ahead.

20:40 - Thank you so much. Muchas gracias.

20:42 - Yeah, and I look forward to conversations later on.

20:45 - Take care. Okay.

20:47 - Thank you, Doctor Ramirez.

20:49 - And joining us today is a woman whose mission the heat Geisinger

20:53 - health plan, family plan, the Medicaid gonna pay family

20:58 - provider.

20:59 - Silsbee hospital, Estado.

21:01 - You got my complete thesis.

21:03 - Todo lo necesita para without even estar intensity.

21:07 - Por qué? Here. Your family estimates your mental health.

21:10 - The medical in hit up your pay family to come

21:14 - premenopausal repeat them here at your family.

21:18 - Punto com Baja primer Paso and joining us today is a woman

21:22 - whose mission and direction is to make better healthcare for all.

21:27 - We are honored to welcome Kim Durango, chief, Diversity,

21:30 - Equity and Inclusion Officer of Geisinger Health Plans

21:35 - to meet us, give us a call.

21:37 - The Emergency on Wednesday. Yes.

21:41 - Thank you so much.

21:42 - it's a pleasure to be here today.

21:45 - I just know that this conference is going to be an amazing experience

21:50 - not only for me, but for each and every last person that is attending

21:53 - based on the welcomes that I've just heard.

21:56 - I've already been inspired.

21:58 - it is my pleasure to, welcome all of you

22:02 - on behalf of Geisinger and our leadership

22:06 - and on behalf of our amazing team, which is right here in front.

22:10 - I want everybody to say hello to the Geisinger team.

22:13 - Thank you all so much for being here.

22:15 - this is our second year participating in the conference,

22:19 - and it continues to get better and better for us.

22:23 - Just a little bit about Geisinger.

22:24 - Geisinger was founded by a woman by the name of Abigail Geisinger.

22:29 - and her mission was to make sure that everyone got the health care

22:34 - they deserve to make health care better

22:36 - for her community and central and northeastern Pennsylvania.

22:40 - Fast forward 100 years later.

22:42 - 100 years later, her vision expanded Geisinger to the entire state.

22:48 - We are driven by the deep roots

22:50 - that we have in our communities, and we thrive on the diversity

22:55 - and the unity that we create in those communities as well.

22:59 - The next few days promises to be very enlightening,

23:02 - enriching and engaging, and we are happy to be a part of that.

23:07 - You'll be able to see a lot of the work that we've been doing

23:10 - in the community, specifically

23:11 - around our fresh food, pharmacy, feeding families across the state.

23:16 - You'll hear about a partnership that we've recently embarked

23:19 - upon with the Hazleton Integration Project.

23:22 - You'll get a lot of information about neighborly resources that we utilize

23:26 - to make sure that family and communities have the tools necessary to thrive.

23:32 - We're focused on the social determinants of health.

23:35 - We're focused on closing the, health care disparities in all

23:39 - the communities that we serve.

23:41 - I'd like

23:42 - to take a moment to acknowledge, the founder

23:45 - and the creator of this event, Jorge Fernandez.

23:49 - You heard a little bit about his shared experience, his lived experience.

23:53 - And that's really a part of what we do at Geisinger.

23:56 - We want to make sure that we all know about the lived experiences

24:00 - that exist in our communities.

24:01 - And it's only through those stories, it's through

24:04 - those experiences, it's through our listening

24:08 - that we can create programs and services to serve our community.

24:13 - Today we have the the next couple of days,

24:16 - we have the opportunity to acknowledge

24:18 - the significant contributions of the Latino community,

24:21 - the vibrant culture and we experienced that last night

24:24 - with some salsa dancing and some reggaeton.

24:30 - I learned that from Zumba, and I saw it last night and I knew exactly what to do.

24:34 - so yeah, we'll experience the cultures, the hard work,

24:39 - and most importantly, the resilience of a culture and a community

24:43 - that's making such an immeasurable impact on the Commonwealth.

24:49 - So we're here to celebrate

24:50 - the culture, celebrate the achievements and the potential.

24:53 - So as we kick off this convention, as we kick off this summit,

24:57 - I think it's important for us to remember that our diversity is our strength.

25:01 - Our unity is our power.

25:05 - Let's look forward to the thought provoking discussions,

25:08 - inspiring stories and unforgettable encounters.

25:11 - Thank you George. Thank you.

25:13 - Latino Health Summit for allowing us to be a part of this journey.

25:17 - And let's make the most of this wonderful opportunity to connect, collaborate,

25:22 - and to celebrate our Latino community.

25:25 - Thank you.

25:30 - Thank you. Kim.

25:32 - While unable to be with us in person here today,

25:35 - we have a very special video message from Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis.

25:40 - Youngest Lieutenant governor in the country and first black

25:44 - lieutenant governor in Commonwealth history.

25:47 - Please direct your attention to the screens for his message.

25:53 - Hey, folks.

25:54 - Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis here.

25:56 - I'm so sorry I couldn't be there with you today at your fourth

25:59 - annual Latino Health Summit.

26:01 - However, I want to take this moment to express my immense pride

26:04 - at the impactful work being done by the Latino Connection.

26:09 - You've been a driving force in creating a platform

26:11 - for open dialog and collaboration around Latino health.

26:15 - This year's theme, Fueling Revolution Inspiring

26:18 - Change, and Embracing Unity for Latino Well-Being.

26:22 - It's exactly what we need as your lieutenant governor.

26:25 - I share that commitment to unity.

26:27 - That's why the Shapiro Davis administration reestablished

26:30 - the governor's advisory Commission on Latino Affairs.

26:34 - This commission, just like the Latino Health

26:36 - Summit, is all about ensuring all voices are heard.

26:40 - It allows us to gather crucial information about your experiences and needs,

26:45 - and empowers us to develop programs and services

26:48 - that truly benefit the Latino community here in Pennsylvania.

26:52 - No matter what you look like or where you come from,

26:55 - who you love or you pray to, you deserve a seat at the table.

27:00 - The Latino Health Summit embodies that spirit,

27:03 - bringing people together to share knowledge, discuss critical issues,

27:08 - and celebrate the health and vibrancy of the Latino culture.

27:11 - Thank you and best wishes to everyone at today's fourth Annual Latino Summit.

27:15 - I look forward to seeing you all soon. Let's work.

27:21 - Please welcome next Melissa Miranda,

27:24 - CEO of Neighborhood Centers of Lehigh Valley.

27:31 - What are you up to?

27:34 - I'm with you.

27:36 - Good morning, Camden Needles.

27:39 - I really can't say much more than what everyone else has said

27:42 - because it's, been said so eloquently and beautifully.

27:45 - But I did want to say that,

27:50 - being a child of two Puerto Ricans

27:52 - that came here over 75 years ago to build a wonderful life.

27:56 - Pennsylvania is a great place for Latinos to live and succeed.

28:01 - having witnessed it myself, I know that that's very true.

28:06 - I myself am here

28:06 - today on behalf of neighborhood health centers of the Lehigh Valley.

28:10 - The Community Health Center initiative that was started over 20 years ago.

28:15 - We are joined here today by star and, Valley Health Partners.

28:20 - all of us here to improve access to care and reduce barriers.

28:24 - experienced by many of our community and especially our Latino community.

28:30 - We welcome everyone.

28:31 - And that's important for people to understand everyone.

28:35 - Our focus are those that are struggling to access health care.

28:38 - And so I appreciate and value the opportunity to share that.

28:42 - So that may be a neighbor, a friend, a relative can actually access care

28:47 - without having the excess burden of, maybe expense or concerns.

28:53 - I wanted to

28:54 - say I'm very excited about the agenda over these two days, because they're

28:57 - highlighting important topics that are impacting our Latino community.

29:01 - Prevention efforts take everyone's commitment, and it takes time.

29:07 - Having been a nurse for over 30 years here in the Valley,

29:11 - we are still being impacted by obesity, asthma, diabetes, cardiac.

29:16 - And that's some of it.

29:17 - Most of it is preventable.

29:19 - So please, I ask you all,

29:23 - just take a breath.

29:28 - Put your phones on.

29:29 - Do not disturb and really be present.

29:34 - Generate ideas.

29:36 - Ask your questions.

29:37 - Share your concerns.

29:40 - Because it's not an overnight fix

29:43 - and we have this opportunity.

29:46 - I appreciate having the summit here.

29:48 - I am so proud to to host it here.

29:51 - And I'm not hosting it, but they are.

29:53 - and so I ask you to take advantage of that opportunity today.

29:59 - thank you.

30:04 - Our next guest

30:05 - is a trailblazer with a vision as bold as his heart.

30:10 - We are honored to welcome Rafael Collazo, executive

30:14 - director of Unidos US Action Fund.

30:19 - I always have a challenge.

30:22 - We almost always $7 00000.

30:27 - Always. Good morning everyone.

30:29 - What does the s on behalf of, our president General gear.

30:33 - and the nation's largest Latino civil rights organization.

30:37 - I'm proud to say that I am the, national political director and executive

30:41 - director of our political arm, the Unidos US Action Fund.

30:45 - And it is such a pleasure and honor to be here with, today.

30:48 - I stand before you today here at the Latino Health Summit.

30:51 - this is such an incredible gathering.

30:52 - And I just want to again, thank, I know we're all,

30:56 - very grateful to my brother Jorge Fernandez

30:59 - and his team for bringing together this incredible event.

31:02 - It's also a very, poignant day for me,

31:06 - and a historical day in my life, because it's actually the first

31:09 - my first public appearance since my mother passed away about a month ago.

31:13 - So I want to encourage people to Google.

31:15 - So, yeah.

31:16 - And check out her obituary in the many accolades and, home

31:21 - and our heads that have been shared publicly.

31:24 - was a trailblazing, Latina leader,

31:27 - who was really part of that first generation of Latino activists

31:32 - and came here as a, as a young single woman from the campus of Puerto Rico

31:36 - to blaze a trail as one of the first Latino city workers in the city,

31:39 - Philadelphia, and decades of service in church and in community.

31:43 - and in her final days, she made it very clear to me

31:48 - that while, she understood I would need time to grieve, she she made it

31:52 - very clear to me that, she prepared me for this next stage of my activism.

31:58 - and she was very clear that the stakes could not be higher.

32:01 - And so today is such a historical day for many reasons,

32:04 - because we are in a moment in our history here as Latinos in Pennsylvania,

32:08 - where the stakes could not be higher.

32:10 - the protection and the expansion of health care

32:15 - and culturally competent health care, access and quality health care

32:18 - for the Latino community is on the line in 2024.

32:22 - And so we're very proud to stand with the Latino Health Summit.

32:25 - All of our allied stakeholders

32:27 - here, from all the different sectors of the health care system.

32:31 - to standing unity, to say that we are not going to go backwards

32:35 - as it relates to progress that we've made, whether it's the Affordable Care Act,

32:39 - the gains we've made in the Inflation Reduction Act, another

32:42 - in other efforts that we've all made here on the national and state level

32:45 - to expand quality health care for all the Latino community.

32:49 - We're proud to say that later on in the in the day that the Unidos US Action

32:54 - Fund is actually is going to announce at a press conference

32:58 - that will be here at the Latino Health Summit, that our Pennsylvania Latino

33:01 - Health Agenda for 2024, our national Latino Health Agenda

33:05 - for 2024 is going to be announced here at the Latino Health Summit,

33:09 - along with Latino elected officials and other stakeholders.

33:12 - and we will lay out what policies we want to collectively work on together,

33:16 - with stakeholders and elected officials to continue to expand access

33:21 - to Latino health care, for the Latino community,

33:24 - for our immigrant population, for our young people, which, you know,

33:28 - too many of which are dealing with issues related to health care access and food

33:32 - insecurity, and a myriad of, of, solutions,

33:37 - as one of our other speakers spoke about a moment ago,

33:40 - where we can, access where we can expand access

33:44 - to health care, 40% of Latino voters in Pennsylvania tell us in our polling

33:49 - that health care access still to this day in 2024 is a top concern.

33:54 - So there's much work to be done.

33:55 - but I know what the leadership in this room.

33:58 - We're well on our way.

33:59 - Thank you so much.

34:00 - You can follow Unidos Us Action Fund if we can get to the last slide.

34:04 - for more information, we have a QR code here where we're going

34:07 - to, be announcing our Latino policy agenda and ways you can, work with us,

34:12 - to mobilize the community around, policy on a state and national level

34:18 - to expand health care access for the Latino community in Pennsylvania.

34:21 - Muchas gracias.

34:32 - All right.

34:32 - And after all these powerful remarks, we are finally ready

34:35 - to kick off our first panel of the day to lead this conversation.

34:39 - I am very excited to invite to the stage fellow journalists and currently

34:44 - communications manager for the City of Allentown,

34:47 - Genesis Ortega.

34:51 - For your moment, for

34:56 - superintendent in the city.

34:58 - Welcome. Bienvenidos.

35:01 - Una brown.

35:01 - Also, a round of applause for everybody in this room.

35:04 - This is incredible.

35:05 - Welcome to the Lehigh Valley.

35:08 - my name is Genesis Ortega, and I am proud to be your host

35:13 - for this first panel on what Pennsylvania is doing for Latinos.

35:18 - And as Jorge Fernandez says,

35:20 - are we addressing the root causes of health disparities?

35:23 - we know very briefly that Latinos

35:26 - are the fastest growing segment in our country.

35:30 - And in Pennsylvania,

35:31 - we have accounted for more than 50% of the growth in the past two decades.

35:35 - In Allentown, we have over 54% of our population.

35:38 - That is Latino, Bethlehem 33%, and Easton.

35:42 - we have 25%.

35:44 - So it's a significant population.

35:47 - And this is a really important conversation.

35:49 - So without further ado, I am proud and honored

35:53 - to be sitting alongside some of Pennsylvania's leaders

35:56 - to talk about, these issues that we have for today.

36:00 - So joining me on stage is Secretary Valerie Arkush of the Pennsylvania

36:05 - Department of Human Services, acting Secretary Deborah

36:08 - Bogan of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and Secretary Pat Brown.

36:12 - Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.

36:14 - Give us a round of applause, and I'll have them join me on stage.

36:21 - you're on the air.

36:23 - Everyone's watching.

36:24 - You know I'm serious. We're getting closer.

36:26 - This isn't over the past year.

36:29 - Are you feeling?

36:32 - But you got it all.

36:34 - Believe it when we all get up.

36:36 - Oh, did you forget I pay?

36:39 - It's I'm it I mean, I ain't gotta do I cause this is Africa.

36:43 - I mean, I'm so I'm, I got it.

36:47 - It's a great Shakira song.

36:50 - So just to give you some perspective on who's joining us,

36:53 - I just want to read some brief bios

36:54 - because these are some really incredible people joining us today.

36:58 - So Secretary Valerie Arkush assumes her role as the secretary

37:02 - of Pennsylvania Department of Human Services on June 29th, 2023.

37:07 - Following her appointment by governor Josh Shapiro on January 17th.

37:11 - Before this, she served on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners,

37:14 - becoming the first woman to chair the commission.

37:18 - Her tenure saw significant strides in addressing homelessness, strengthening

37:22 - human services, and combatting the opioid epidemic during the Covid 19 pandemic.

37:27 - Her leadership was commended for its transparency and data driven approach.

37:32 - Doctor, our couch is a strong advocate for maternal health and reproductive

37:36 - rights, and previous led national efforts for comprehensive health care reform.

37:41 - She brings a wealth of experience, including a medical background

37:45 - as a clinical anesthesiologist, an obstetrician, along with a master

37:49 - of Public Health. Welcome.

37:52 - And doctor

37:53 - Deborah Bogan serves as the acting secretary of Health,

37:56 - bringing a wealth of experience from her tenure as director of the Allegheny County

38:01 - Health Department.

38:02 - During her time there, she provided invaluable leadership during the pandemic,

38:07 - ensuring the dissemination

38:08 - of accurate information and close collaboration with stakeholders.

38:12 - Doctor Bolton's extensive background includes over two decades

38:16 - in the Pittsburgh medical and research community,

38:18 - where she held academic appointments

38:20 - at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Children's Hospital.

38:24 - Her dedication to pediatric care and addressing

38:27 - social inequities is evident in her clinical research.

38:30 - Doctor Bogan receives her medical degree from the University of Colorado

38:34 - School of Medicine, and played a pivotal role

38:36 - in founding the Mid-Atlantic Mothers of Pink.

38:39 - Welcome,

38:41 - and the Lehigh Valley's very own.

38:43 - Pat Brown serves as the Secretary of Revenue, bringing a wealth of experience

38:48 - from his nearly three decades in Pennsylvania's legislature

38:51 - representing Lehigh and Northampton counties.

38:54 - Brown served in the Pennsylvania State Senate for 18 years,

38:57 - and previously in the state House of Representatives for a decade.

39:01 - Notable for his leadership as Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, Brown

39:05 - authored key legislation reforming Pennsylvania's public pension systems

39:09 - and spearheaded initiatives in education and government reform.

39:13 - His efforts in creating the Neighborhood Improvement Zone revitalize Allentown,

39:18 - attracting over $1 billion in new development investments.

39:22 - Brown's background as a certified public accountant and attorney

39:25 - further enriches his public service.

39:28 - He's a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Temple University

39:32 - School of Law. Welcome.

39:34 - And so we're excited to have all of you here.

39:37 - And what I'd like to do is just begin by having you introduce yourself

39:41 - and giving us a high level overview of your departments and your role,

39:45 - and what work you're most interested and most excited about within your department.

39:50 - I'll start with you, Doctor Bogan.

39:55 - So. Okay.

40:04 - Yeah. There we go.

40:05 - Good morning. It's.

40:06 - I can't really see people out there.

40:08 - It's really. First of all, thank you so much for having me.

40:10 - It's a real honor and a privilege to be here.

40:13 - so, as you said, I am, Doctor Deborah Bogan.

40:18 - I am a pediatrician.

40:19 - I'm also a mother.

40:21 - and, so I think I bring those to my work every day.

40:25 - at the Department of Health, we,

40:28 - have a vision which is a healthy Pennsylvania for all.

40:31 - And I think that

40:32 - that really speaks to the speakers we heard at the introduction, really,

40:35 - about the importance that we have a healthy Pennsylvania for all.

40:39 - And that all is what I want to emphasize.

40:42 - and that's really at the core, we, at the department

40:46 - put out a lots of reports, but one of the most important reports

40:50 - is we do something called the State Health Improvement Plan.

40:53 - And that state health improvement plan is our five year

40:56 - plan of how we're going to improve the health of Pennsylvanians.

40:59 - And at the core of that is health equity.

41:02 - so that is which I'll talk about

41:05 - a little bit more during the, questions.

41:08 - But what we do in the Department of Health is

41:11 - we try to prevent epidemics and the spread of disease.

41:14 - We protect against environmental hazards.

41:17 - We respond to disasters and assist in the recovery of them.

41:20 - We try to prevent injuries, promote healthy behaviors,

41:24 - assure quality and accessibility of health services,

41:26 - and collect and analyze data to inform actions.

41:29 - So that's sort of the core of public health.

41:32 - And we are a public health agency.

41:34 - we put out like I said,

41:36 - a lot of data on many, many, many topics.

41:40 - and our priorities this year are many, but one is maternal health and working

41:45 - very closely with Doctor Kush and her team and our drug and alcohol programs

41:50 - and a number of other, agencies, really on maternal health.

41:53 - Rural health is another really important core mission that we're working on

41:57 - in the department and access to care across the Commonwealth.

42:01 - We are a very interesting state.

42:02 - We have 3 or 4 kind of urban areas, and then we have lots of rural communities

42:07 - across the Commonwealth where access is challenging.

42:10 - we are really working with, with the rest of the administration

42:15 - on behavioral health and mental health access, including substance use,

42:18 - and, emergency medical services.

42:21 - I know every day I want to make sure that if I call 911,

42:24 - I have, access to emergency services.

42:28 - So the EMS system, which,

42:30 - sits under the Department of Health, is another really important area,

42:34 - as well as our commitment to continue to improve, long term

42:37 - care facilities and the quality of care in those facilities.

42:41 - So those are some of our,

42:42 - important highlights for the Department of Health at this time.

42:46 - Secretary Kush.

42:52 - Good morning everybody.

42:53 - It is such a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you.

42:56 - I am Valerie Kush, and I am the secretary of the Department of Human Services,

43:01 - and really excited

43:02 - to have this opportunity to have this conversation with you today.

43:06 - The Department of Human Services is the Commonwealth's

43:09 - largest state agency, and under our umbrella,

43:13 - we have a number of programs that help build bridges

43:17 - to stability for families all across our Commonwealth.

43:22 - We oversee the Medicaid program,

43:25 - which is known as medical assistance in the Commonwealth.

43:28 - And we also establish access to all sorts of other really important programs

43:34 - like Snap, which is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

43:38 - We can provide heating assistance.

43:40 - We can sometimes

43:41 - help with emergency housing assistance, a number of programs like that.

43:45 - But we also work, to help individuals with behavioral health challenges,

43:50 - individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism,

43:53 - folks with physical disabilities that need supports

43:57 - to maintain a home in the community.

44:00 - We work in child welfare and also the juvenile justice system,

44:04 - and we also help provide child care and early intervention services.

44:09 - So we run a wide gamut of services.

44:13 - One of the ways that you might have interacted

44:15 - with us is in our county assistance offices.

44:18 - That's often the kind of the front door to getting,

44:22 - assistance with providing stability for a family here in the Commonwealth.

44:26 - We have offices in every single county, and I'm

44:30 - particularly excited to be here today because, as Dennis mentioned,

44:35 - Latino community is growing and thriving in the Commonwealth

44:39 - and is just such an important part of what we do.

44:43 - And I personally believe that while we do a lot of things fairly

44:48 - well at the Department of Human Services, there is always an opportunity to improve

44:53 - and we want to work in partnership with you.

44:56 - We look for you to help hold us accountable,

44:59 - to make sure that we truly are accessible,

45:03 - that our language services are appropriate and adequate to the tasks at hand,

45:09 - that we are making our services readily available and convenient.

45:13 - And we look forward to getting your input to working in partnership with you,

45:18 - with that goal of making sure that every single family,

45:23 - every single person in our Commonwealth has the chance to grow and thrive,

45:27 - live with dignity and security that they deserve.

45:31 - Thanks. Secretary Brown.

45:33 - Yeah. This is. Thank you.

45:35 - behalf of the 2000 members of Department Revenue team.

45:39 - When?

45:40 - As they asked all of you and wanted to take an opportunity

45:43 - to thank you for having the fourth, summit in the Lehigh Valley.

45:48 - Waverly is my home.

45:49 - And given the strength and importance of the Latino population here in the Valley.

45:53 - It's highly appropriate to have, this summit here.

45:57 - the Department of Revenue, very simply, is

46:02 - responsible for

46:03 - effectively and efficiently raising the revenue that's necessary

46:07 - for a state government to operate, for its, its operations.

46:11 - and its programs.

46:13 - and one thing that's really important, always keep in

46:17 - mind, is for any state that needs to balance its books,

46:22 - the strength of its revenue depends on a productive population.

46:28 - the states that are growing, in their population

46:31 - are the ones that have the, strongest, revenue base.

46:36 - And for the last 30 years,

46:37 - from my service in state government, that has really depended

46:41 - on the growth of the Latino, population in Pennsylvania.

46:46 - If it wasn't for, Latino,

46:50 - the Latino population seeing Pennsylvania as a place to raise their families

46:55 - and invest the state of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania would be shrinking.

46:58 - So it's very important for me to note that, because

47:03 - your investment here

47:04 - and the families that live here is has been extraordinarily important to,

47:10 - the revenue base for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

47:13 - Given that it's three days after Tax day, I'm probably the last one

47:16 - you want to actually listen to.

47:20 - I my 2000 people are pretty tired right now,

47:23 - but the one thing that is never on

47:28 - the top of the list in terms of favorite things to do, is to pay your taxes.

47:32 - So it's up to the Department of Revenue to have a system

47:34 - that's as effective and efficient as possible, to make it easy on folks,

47:39 - to do their collective obligation as being, citizens of Pennsylvania.

47:43 - And probably the most exciting thing for me over the last

47:47 - five years has been the Department of Revenue has really been. And,

47:53 - and a

47:54 - problem that was in the past, for years, its systems were not up to date.

47:58 - It was very hard for taxpayers and businesses to comply over the last

48:01 - five years.

48:02 - We put a major amount of investment in our, tax compliance systems.

48:07 - What used to be the oldest and less least efficient in the nation is

48:12 - the most integrated and most efficient

48:14 - in the nation, and it just makes it easier for folks to comply.

48:17 - And that's that's really important.

48:20 - Thank you.

48:20 - Secretary Bogan, I want to know what are the biggest challenges

48:25 - and opportunities for Latinos in the state of Pennsylvania?

48:29 - And the question that I believe many are asking themselves in this room is,

48:32 - what is the role of Pennsylvania state government in addressing those challenges?

48:37 - well, thanks for that.

48:39 - The, you know, the state government, which I'm learning as well in my new role,

48:43 - really means we all have to work together.

48:47 - and no one department does it all.

48:49 - So, you know, Doctor Kush and I and, the other,

48:53 - what we call health hub secretaries and aging and drug

48:57 - and alcohol have to work together to really address those opportunities.

49:00 - So no one department really owns at all.

49:02 - I think there's a number of challenges.

49:04 - You know, the Latino community is is diverse as the rest of the country.

49:08 - Right? It is not one group.

49:10 - It is many, many, people.

49:11 - So, you know, some of some Latinos have been here

49:14 - for generations and generations and some are new.

49:17 - and so it's hard to say, you know, there are challenges for individual people

49:21 - and for communities. We do have a lot of data.

49:24 - So one thing I will say is our data definitely show across the state

49:27 - that the prevalence of poverty among the Latino community is almost twice

49:32 - as high as in the rest of the population, so that's certainly a challenge.

49:36 - and Access to care, which I think was mentioned

49:38 - earlier as well, is really continues to be a challenge.

49:41 - And, almost twice as many Latinos will say that they don't have

49:45 - as good access to care as they would like compared to the general population.

49:49 - So that's a huge challenge that we all need to work together to overcome.

49:54 - and in, and many people across the country,

49:58 - the pandemic did not make this easy for people, but mental health

50:01 - has really been, and behavioral health has really been a challenge.

50:05 - And accessing care.

50:06 - there are movements on that.

50:09 - I think, again, telehealth has allowed that to improve.

50:13 - but I think those are some of the major challenges facing,

50:16 - the general population, but also the Latino population.

50:20 - So, our role really in government is,

50:24 - to make sure that we use our dollars that come to the,

50:27 - our programs to make sure we're using those effectively

50:30 - to get to the communities in need that need them the most.

50:33 - And again, that is where health equity comes to the core, right?

50:36 - We, we get federal dollars, we get state dollars,

50:40 - and we need to make sure that we work

50:42 - with communities to deliver those dollars most effectively.

50:46 - So as the local and when I was at the local health department,

50:49 - you know, we worked really hard to identify communities in need

50:53 - and make sure that local organizations that were doing the work,

50:56 - boots on the ground,

50:57 - were getting that financial support they need to deliver the services.

51:00 - So the Department of Health, we don't deliver

51:03 - a lot of health care services, although I will mention

51:05 - we have state health centers, which I'll talk about little later.

51:09 - but really, our job is to make sure that we distribute

51:12 - those funds appropriately to get to the those most in need.

51:16 - And I think that's really at the core

51:18 - of what the government needs to do as a, as a team, as people.

51:21 - and we use data to make those decisions.

51:23 - So, we put out from the Department of Health tons of data.

51:27 - It's on our website.

51:28 - We have open data, we have dashboards.

51:31 - And we hope that people across the Commonwealth use that data

51:34 - in their local assessments so that they know also where those needs are.

51:39 - and that to me is at the core of the work we do, is really

51:42 - that equity and making sure we're using that data to effectively drive it.

51:46 - So it means we have to collect good data as well,

51:48 - to make sure that it can be used most effectively.

51:52 - And that's a really good point.

51:53 - And Secretary Kush, I'd love to hear your perspective on

51:57 - the equitable distribution of resources.

51:59 - Are there initiatives in place

52:01 - to ensure that these resources are being equitably distributed?

52:04 - When we're talking about services for these communities?

52:09 - Yeah, I think that the short answer is yes.

52:12 - But that's also one of our biggest challenges, is actually connecting

52:16 - with the individuals who have, every right to receive

52:20 - certain services that may not know that those services are available to them.

52:26 - They might know they have a need, but they're not sure where to go to solve it.

52:29 - So I want to mention a new program that is just being launched

52:34 - across the Commonwealth, called to navigate and navigate.

52:38 - It is a, it's a system that will connect hospitals, doctors

52:45 - offices, emergency departments with community based organizations,

52:50 - everything from food pantries to other broader community based groups,

52:55 - and also to county governments, where a lot of health departments and other

53:00 - services are delivered out through that county level.

53:05 - And this will be, an interactive it's called a closed loop referral system.

53:11 - And a doctor can make a referral for an individual to a local food pantry.

53:15 - If that person is in secure or any Pennsylvanian

53:19 - can just go on to PA, navigate and they can search by zip code

53:23 - and they can select any services that they're looking for, help

53:26 - connecting with housing, childcare, food, clothing, whatever it is.

53:31 - So I think anything that we can do like that to help

53:34 - make it easier for people to connect the other area

53:38 - that is so critical for us is making sure that we are

53:42 - working with trusted messengers across our Commonwealth.

53:46 - We recently have,

53:49 - we're recently wrapping up a process that once the pandemic ended,

53:55 - we had to, go through and have every single person

53:58 - who was receiving Medicaid services, their health care through Medicaid,

54:02 - which a year ago was 3.7 million Pennsylvanians

54:07 - and none of whom lost their coverage during the pandemic.

54:10 - Every one of those people had to send in paperwork

54:14 - and reapply for their Medicaid and we are seeing, as we are concluding

54:18 - that process that despite really substantial efforts,

54:23 - despite reaching out to people 11 times,

54:26 - despite community events, despite, you know, radio, television,

54:31 - all sorts of things, there are people that just never responded.

54:35 - And we've been doing some work to survey individuals who didn't respond.

54:39 - And no surprise, one of the issues that's bubbling up

54:43 - are individuals who speak Spanish as a primary language.

54:47 - And so we know that language access is not simply a matter of translation.

54:52 - It's about appropriate interpretation and making documents and other things,

54:57 - culturally appropriate and welcoming and, and just simply to make sense.

55:02 - And so I think that's a place where we really have work to do.

55:05 - And very much hope that we can do that work in partnership.

55:09 - I appreciate that.

55:10 - And, considering what you just said, Secretary Brown,

55:14 - I'd love to hear your take on this particular situation

55:19 - reaching Latino families,

55:21 - considering the socioeconomic challenges that many Latinos face.

55:25 - how is the Department of Revenue tapping into that community

55:29 - to let them know about things like tax credits,

55:33 - financial assistance programs, resources that might be available to them?

55:38 - Thank you.

55:39 - As I said, the tax

55:41 - system is in order for it to work effectively, it has to be accessible.

55:46 - You know, it's not something that we covered

55:50 - all the time having to involve ourselves in, but it's something that

55:55 - if it's not accessible across the board

55:57 - to different populations in Pennsylvania, it's not being run effectively.

56:01 - So it's been the priority for our department,

56:05 - in the past administration and under the Governor Shapiro's

56:08 - administration, to make sure that's the case, recently we had made sure that,

56:14 - in our new system that,

56:18 - the filling out of the Pennsylvania income tax form.

56:21 - I could be the instructions would be in Spanish, the, the we're working on

56:26 - making sure that the tax return, which is something that most,

56:30 - most have already complied with this year, but for next year, will be in Spanish.

56:36 - One of the governor's major initiatives this year was to expand

56:40 - a program in the lottery.

56:42 - That's another thing the Department of Revenue is responsible

56:45 - for is running the lottery, the Tax and rent rebate program.

56:50 - first expansion that has been done since 2000.

56:53 - And for families that we're making $15,000

56:57 - now, making $45,000 can qualify.

57:01 - And for the first time, the instructions in

57:04 - the form has been translated into Spanish.

57:07 - there is

57:10 - a couple very important initiatives that the

57:13 - the governor and the Assembly had partnered on, just recently.

57:17 - And one that is very important is the child and dependent care credit.

57:22 - it's been something that's been in the, U.S.

57:25 - federal system for years.

57:26 - But, now under the Pennsylvania system,

57:29 - families with children can receive thousands of dollars

57:33 - in tax credits for child and dependent care expenses.

57:38 - that's something that was only 30% last year.

57:41 - This past budget, they made it 100%.

57:43 - So these types of initiatives, I believe, are really important,

57:47 - not only from a standpoint of accessibility, but taking care of the,

57:51 - the income and,

57:54 - challenges that Latino families have in being self-sufficient,

57:58 - something that our

58:00 - federal, state and local really, officials are dealing with

58:04 - right now are, how to work with immigrant and refugee families.

58:08 - And so I would be curious to know, how is state government

58:12 - handling, getting information and access

58:16 - to resources to these communities?

58:20 - so the department,

58:21 - our public health system in Pennsylvania is unusual.

58:24 - We have a hybrid, public health system.

58:26 - So we have seven local health departments,

58:28 - and we have four municipal health departments, including one

58:32 - here, local health department or municipal health departments.

58:35 - So we and then the rest of the state, in all the counties, we have something

58:39 - called state health centers.

58:40 - And those state health centers, serve the community in which they live.

58:44 - and they provide vaccinations for people who are underinsured or uninsured.

58:50 - They provide, testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

58:54 - They treat tuberculosis.

58:55 - They do community education, they, track

59:00 - infectious diseases and other things.

59:02 - So in all of our communities across Pennsylvania,

59:05 - we have state health centers.

59:07 - and those state health centers are intended to help

59:10 - support the needs of, immigrant and refugee populations.

59:14 - recently, in our Bureau of Community Health Systems

59:19 - did a local collaboration in the library to address some needs of recent immigrants

59:24 - in one of our communities, that has seen an, large influx of Haitian refugees.

59:30 - And, again, that's the kind of work that we do to try to make sure

59:33 - when there's a community in need

59:34 - that we get out there and work with local partners to address those needs.

59:37 - And and again, we saw that in the pandemic as well.

59:40 - we also have the work program in the Department of Health.

59:43 - And the work program, is one of the nutrition

59:47 - programs that serve people in the United States.

59:50 - And it's particularly for pregnant, and and postpartum mothers, as well

59:55 - as, children birth to their fifth birthday

59:58 - 098 and that program in the week program across the Commonwealth.

01:00 - 06.002 And every county has programs and offices and does a lot of outreach,

01:00 - 12.141 including having services in many languages, and translated many materials.

01:00 - 13.810 Our websites are available.

01:00 - 15.912 and our app also does that.

01:00 - 19.816 So, we also really work with organizations

01:00 - 24.320 that, provide services to refugee and immigrant populations.

01:00 - 28.024 So, we work through many means to address the needs.

01:00 - 31.060 Again, I do want to comment a little bit.

01:00 - 32.395 Doctor Chris mentioned the need

01:00 - 36.532 for really making sure all of our services are in multiple languages.

01:00 - 41.404 We have, refugees and immigrants from many, many places

01:00 - 42.839 that speak many languages.

01:00 - 46.509 And we still have a lot of work to do to make sure that all of our services

01:00 - 47.477 can reach everyone.

01:00 - 50.847 Again, that healthy Pennsylvania for all is at the core.

01:00 - 53.316 And if we can't communicate with people effectively

01:00 - 56.419 in a culturally appropriate way, that we're not able to reach them.

01:00 - 58.688 So we're continuing to do that work, making

01:00 - 01.858 sure we're responding to individual needs as they come up.

01:01 - 05.028 But again, trying to plan for the future of what does that look like?

01:01 - 08.531 How do we use, the best technologies out there

01:01 - 12.101 to make sure that we are reducing barriers to care, whether it's through our

01:01 - 15.104 any of our programing and our partnerships with other organizations.

01:01 - 16.773 I'm glad to hear that.

01:01 - 20.543 And I don't know if you are able to answer this question, but I'm curious,

01:01 - 24.213 how do we stand with other states and other Commonwealth?

01:01 - 26.883 I think there's a few other commonwealths in the country.

01:01 - 28.184 Are is there a gauge?

01:01 - 31.120 You know, how are we in comparison to everyone else?

01:01 - 35.091 I think it depends on what you're talking about.

01:01 - 38.461 I mean, our work program, for instance, is working extremely

01:01 - 41.431 hard to increase, access to services.

01:01 - 44.667 so I don't have metrics in terms of that,

01:01 - 48.304 but we, we do, for instance, have

01:01 - 52.175 now have, working on eight mobile units to get out to the community.

01:01 - 55.411 We're really trying to find ways to meet people where they are.

01:01 - 58.081 I hope we're doing well compared to other states.

01:01 - 00.917 we certainly, make every effort to.

01:02 - 03.720 But I don't have any data on that.

01:02 - 06.756 Let's talk social determinants of health for a second.

01:02 - 11.260 Secretary Kush, I love to hear your perspective first.

01:02 - 15.231 And if anybody else also wants to chime in, what are we doing?

01:02 - 19.035 What policies measures are in place to address things like

01:02 - 23.306 housing instability, food insecurity, employment, despair,

01:02 - 25.575 disparities and

01:02 - 28.678 disproportionality as a whole in Latino populations?

01:02 - 33.483 Well, this is an area that I'm particularly excited about right now.

01:02 - 36.886 You know, at historically at the Department of Human Services,

01:02 - 42.058 we have been, supporting people and, you know,

01:02 - 45.328 helping to build those bridges, sort of in the immediate moment

01:02 - 49.866 for immediate health care needs, immediate hunger needs, things like that.

01:02 - 52.902 But I know as a physician

01:02 - 57.206 that if you look at the overall impact on health care

01:02 - 02.411 and I'm sorry, not in health care, but just being healthy, about 20%

01:03 - 07.650 of being healthy comes from a care provided by a physician like myself.

01:03 - 13.656 About 50% of being healthy comes from where you live,

01:03 - 17.827 what food you have access to, things like having access

01:03 - 21.197 to a job that pays a living wage, having transportation,

01:03 - 25.234 living in an, neighborhood with clean air and clean water.

01:03 - 29.806 And so while we do our immediate work every day at the Department of Human

01:03 - 35.211 Services, we are very focused on moving upstream and working on prevention

01:03 - 41.117 because so many things can be prevented if people just simply have access

01:03 - 44.320 to the right supports and food,

01:03 - 47.223 at an earlier time in their life.

01:03 - 51.594 And so and very excited that under President Biden's administration,

01:03 - 56.332 they have created the opportunity to spend Medicaid dollars,

01:03 - 59.535 which historically have only been able to be used for health care.

01:04 - 03.272 we now have an opportunity to spend those dollars

01:04 - 06.275 on health related social needs.

01:04 - 10.046 And so we have our agency has submitted

01:04 - 13.683 something called an 1115 waiver to,

01:04 - 17.520 the center for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington, DC.

01:04 - 21.591 And we're in the process of negotiating this waiver with them.

01:04 - 25.795 And if we are successful, then we will be able to

01:04 - 30.233 for five years, work on, four different things.

01:04 - 33.936 One is funding for food as medicine.

01:04 - 37.139 So for individuals that are in the Medicaid program, certain

01:04 - 41.177 individuals that have a newly diagnosed condition like diabetes,

01:04 - 44.614 that's very sensitive to the food that a person eats,

01:04 - 47.884 we'll be able to support them with some food assistance

01:04 - 51.254 for a period of time, help them again get stabilized,

01:04 - 54.290 get on their feet, and understand how to manage their condition.

01:04 - 58.494 We will also be able to provide short term housing supports

01:04 - 03.933 for people who are unhoused, for, people who have given birth

01:05 - 07.870 or are pregnant, make sure that certain populations are able to get,

01:05 - 13.175 stabilized in housing as quickly as possible and again, then sort of

01:05 - 15.478 be that bridge to get that person

01:05 - 19.415 to a little more stability, so that then hopefully a community based organization

01:05 - 22.985 or a county funded resource can then take over from there.

01:05 - 26.622 There's a package of services for individuals

01:05 - 30.526 who are reentering our communities after a period of incarceration.

01:05 - 35.097 these folks face enormous challenges with housing, with getting a job,

01:05 - 40.002 with having access to health care and, a number of other challenges.

01:05 - 41.938 And so there would be a package of supports

01:05 - 44.206 for individuals in that situation.

01:05 - 47.009 And then, very importantly, we are asking

01:05 - 51.447 to continuously cover children from birth

01:05 - 55.184 until their sixth birthday in the Medicaid program.

01:05 - 58.921 So if they qualify for Medicaid at any point from birth

01:05 - 02.892 to their sixth birthday, once they're in, they would stay in.

01:06 - 06.963 And that is so important because as Doctor Bogan can tell you as a pediatrician,

01:06 - 10.433 those early intervention services around

01:06 - 14.503 language or physical therapy or behavioral health issues

01:06 - 18.240 that are identified young when we can intervene early,

01:06 - 21.877 it has a life changing impact for these kids.

01:06 - 25.748 But we also see that our children have some of the most frequent,

01:06 - 29.652 what we call churn, rolling on and off of Medicaid.

01:06 - 31.287 And it's not their fault

01:06 - 35.224 if they happen to have a parent who has seasonal employment, for instance,

01:06 - 38.461 they may qualify for Medicaid during some parts of the year

01:06 - 41.130 and not qualify at other parts of the year.

01:06 - 45.034 And so that really creates a very challenging health care situation.

01:06 - 49.338 So we want those kids in particular to be able to continuously be covered.

01:06 - 52.308 So we're very hopeful that we'll get the go ahead.

01:06 - 56.579 this sometime this fall, then we'll need to be working with our General

01:06 - 01.217 Assembly members to fund the budget that will make these, tools possible.

01:07 - 04.653 But these tools also come with really substantial,

01:07 - 08.791 hundreds of millions of dollars of federal investment into the Commonwealth.

01:07 - 11.427 So it's just a win win all the way around.

01:07 - 13.496 And, Secretary Brown, are you involved in that effort

01:07 - 14.964 to make sure that's successful?

01:07 - 18.567 Anything I can do?

01:07 - 19.635 It's a very important.

01:07 - 22.638 He's got to collect the money so that we can.

01:07 - 28.210 it sounds like, translation efforts are underway in

01:07 - 31.714 each of your departments to make sure that there is access

01:07 - 35.518 to this information in multiple languages, but that's the first step.

01:07 - 38.754 So is are there any other efforts underway,

01:07 - 44.427 or what are our state agencies doing to ensure that literacy cultural

01:07 - 48.330 barriers aren't in the way of individuals and businesses

01:07 - 51.634 here in the Commonwealth?

01:07 - 54.036 I can add just one other quick thing, which is that,

01:07 - 57.506 and Doctor Bogan talked to some of this work a few minutes ago.

01:07 - 00.776 You know, just the importance of being present in communities.

01:08 - 04.580 And so through our Medicaid managed care organizations,

01:08 - 09.785 they are all able now to hire and pay community health workers.

01:08 - 13.022 The community health workers are such an important group.

01:08 - 14.690 They are trusted messengers.

01:08 - 18.427 They understand the needs in the communities in which they're working.

01:08 - 22.998 They become expert in how to connect with the resources in those communities.

01:08 - 26.035 And let me just say, once again, they're trusted.

01:08 - 30.106 And so continuing to support that workforce, really, really important.

01:08 - 33.909 We've also made it possible in the Medicaid system for certified

01:08 - 37.379 doulas to enroll as providers in Medicaid.

01:08 - 42.118 many women of color signed it very challenging to be pregnant

01:08 - 45.754 and give birth in our existing medical establishment.

01:08 - 50.292 It is well documented that birthing people, particularly

01:08 - 54.263 women and birthing people of color, often do not feel heard

01:08 - 58.534 or they they aren't heard or their wishes aren't respected

01:08 - 00.536 or they're not taken seriously.

01:09 - 04.974 And a doula can help again, bridge that gap and make sure

01:09 - 07.209 that that woman is heard.

01:09 - 09.345 And so we're working very hard.

01:09 - 11.280 And efforts like that to expand

01:09 - 15.618 who, is able to assist individuals across our Commonwealth.

01:09 - 18.254 And we want to continue to bolster those efforts.

01:09 - 23.325 I know at the Department of Health, we have an Office of Health Equity,

01:09 - 27.363 which has been in place since, I think 2007.

01:09 - 31.066 and that office has really been leading the charge

01:09 - 34.136 and making sure that we all are thinking about language access

01:09 - 36.739 and culturally appropriate services and care.

01:09 - 40.142 So I really appreciate the leadership that that team has taken.

01:09 - 41.777 we know.

01:09 - 44.747 So, for instance, we have been doing with all of our training,

01:09 - 48.417 all of our staff are getting training and language access services again

01:09 - 51.720 to make sure that this is front of mind for people

01:09 - 55.824 as they develop programing and thinking about culturally appropriate care.

01:09 - 00.362 and again, you know, we have contracts with agencies for translation,

01:10 - 03.432 but making sure that translation isn't just word for word, but

01:10 - 06.802 really gets at the meaning of the, communication.

01:10 - 12.975 and I think training, our staff is, is a start, but not the end.

01:10 - 16.545 The other thing we really do is we work with community organizations

01:10 - 20.583 to try to understand the local needs,

01:10 - 23.686 as we work with our contracted agencies and things.

01:10 - 26.722 So making sure we have diverse organizations with whom we're

01:10 - 30.059 working to really address the needs of every community.

01:10 - 35.431 so, you know, that is one of the roles of government is to distribute

01:10 - 39.468 funding and making sure that that funding is meeting the cultural needs

01:10 - 43.072 of people, diverse communities is really at the core of the work.

01:10 - 45.207 So anything like that.

01:10 - 45.441 Yeah.

01:10 - 48.410 Well, along with these comments, the

01:10 - 52.181 the thing that's most important for us to always consider is accessibility

01:10 - 55.684 and for our systems that everyone has to participate

01:10 - 59.588 in are accessible, then they're in, impossible to comply with.

01:10 - 02.591 So it's one of the things that's been very important to us,

01:11 - 06.195 together with my colleagues is, is outreach.

01:11 - 09.265 we have nine separate offices

01:11 - 12.368 around the state that are responsible for connecting with taxpayers.

01:11 - 15.904 one of our priorities has been to hire,

01:11 - 18.741 Latino members of those outreach offices.

01:11 - 20.976 We've hired people in the Lehigh Valley,

01:11 - 24.380 people in Philadelphia, people in Pittsburgh, that can,

01:11 - 29.151 directly interact, in Spanish with our Latino population.

01:11 - 32.254 again, I mentioned the,

01:11 - 35.891 the need to have all of our forms, what you are doing,

01:11 - 40.529 over the next year, making sure our forms are not only in English

01:11 - 44.466 but in Spanish and ensuring that,

01:11 - 49.605 we go beyond what we normally do and make ourselves accessible.

01:11 - 52.608 This year alone, we're having 300

01:11 - 57.279 separate outreach events around the state to help people with their compliance

01:11 - 01.150 with the income taxes, sales tax, and also for the governor's initiatives

01:12 - 06.121 on property tax and rent rebate to make sure that the 200,000 folks

01:12 - 09.124 that we're able to assess the new child dependent care credit,

01:12 - 14.363 the 175,000 new citizens that can receive benefits for property

01:12 - 17.433 taxes, have the assistance they need to make sure that happens.

01:12 - 19.935 I want to go back to something that you said.

01:12 - 23.238 Secretary Cush and,

01:12 - 26.775 you know, I have heard anecdotally as well that, you know,

01:12 - 30.879 people of color do have challenges when it comes to receiving services.

01:12 - 33.315 you know, in our health care systems.

01:12 - 36.752 And I mentioned earlier that Latinos are the fastest

01:12 - 38.487 growing segment of our population.

01:12 - 43.158 And if we see these numbers continue to rise, will our health care

01:12 - 47.196 systems be ready to embrace that changing demographic?

01:12 - 48.931 And what can we do to help?

01:12 - 52.334 Yeah, I think that's a really great question.

01:12 - 56.972 I do think that our health systems understand how important that is

01:12 - 02.311 and where you see that, understanding being realized is an effort

01:13 - 05.647 to make the individuals that work in our health care

01:13 - 08.951 systems reflects the communities that they're serving.

01:13 - 10.953 And so that means making sure

01:13 - 14.823 that people see health care careers as something for them.

01:13 - 16.558 And that starts, you know, in

01:13 - 20.262 like grade school and junior high and for sure, by high school.

01:13 - 24.333 We all need to work together to make sure that our children

01:13 - 26.435 see these paths ahead of them.

01:13 - 30.773 And the governor has been just a real leader on focusing on,

01:13 - 34.977 helping make education more affordable for individuals.

01:13 - 40.215 A doctor Bogan and I are always talking about programs for loan repayment.

01:13 - 43.786 There are some already in the Commonwealth, but we really do need more.

01:13 - 48.090 And those programs can be tailored to focus on, lifting up

01:13 - 52.261 where our greatest needs are, which are often in communities

01:13 - 55.631 that are more diverse and more reflective of our growing communities

01:13 - 56.498 here in the Commonwealth.

01:13 - 59.234 So we're really eager to be part of those efforts.

01:13 - 01.703 And again, I go back to what I said at the top of this.

01:14 - 03.305 That's where we need you.

01:14 - 07.643 we can't sit in Harrisburg and answer these questions ourselves.

01:14 - 09.912 We need your input. We need your partnership.

01:14 - 13.782 We need your ideas so that we can do things

01:14 - 16.785 that actually are going to work and are going to be meaningful

01:14 - 19.655 to the communities that we're all trying to serve.

01:14 - 22.291 And it goes back to something that Secretary Bogan said is,

01:14 - 25.794 it takes everybody to be part of this effort.

01:14 - 28.530 So anything you'd like to add to, no.

01:14 - 34.236 Again, I really do think, that local people know their communities best.

01:14 - 36.672 They know what their communities need.

01:14 - 39.741 And it's important for people to lift that information up

01:14 - 43.412 so that we can work together to support those local efforts.

01:14 - 46.849 And, you know, I, I, I've been to now

01:14 - 50.285 many Wik clinics across the Commonwealth and they're all slightly different.

01:14 - 52.321 They all deliver the same kind of services,

01:14 - 54.490 but they know what they need in their community

01:14 - 56.625 to meet the needs of of the individuals.

01:14 - 59.561 They make connections to health care services.

01:14 - 03.365 and so we rely on local agencies to do that work.

01:15 - 06.568 So we, you know, the money flows from the federal government

01:15 - 08.504 through the work program to the state government

01:15 - 12.207 and then out to all of our community partners that deliver those services.

01:15 - 14.910 And that's true for everything that we're talking about, right?

01:15 - 18.680 I mean, Doctor Cushing's team does that, we have partners,

01:15 - 21.517 and those partners are the ones who actually deliver the care.

01:15 - 25.487 And so we rely on you as as local people to tell us

01:15 - 27.389 what each individual community needs.

01:15 - 32.094 There are, you know, 67 counties, in Pennsylvania,

01:15 - 35.297 everyone is unique in Allegheny County, where I come from,

01:15 - 38.367 there are 130 municipalities, and they're all different.

01:15 - 42.971 And the most effective care is that that is delivered

01:15 - 47.109 by local people in their community, which is why community health workers are

01:15 - 51.213 so important, because they live and work and know the community they live in.

01:15 - 52.047 So again,

01:15 - 55.918 I think that's what we why we're here is to let you know that we are listening

01:15 - 00.122 and we want to be partners with all of you to make sure we are getting the care

01:16 - 04.192 in local communities by local people in the way that they need it.

01:16 - 13.201 I feel like you can't

01:16 - 17.239 have a health summit without talking about the Covid 19 pandemic.

01:16 - 20.309 and I was a reporter,

01:16 - 25.747 during that time, during Covid 19, and I covered some of the challenges

01:16 - 31.086 that, government agencies and, health care facilities had

01:16 - 35.023 with the Latino community and vaccination and getting information out.

01:16 - 38.794 So I'm wondering, in light of the Covid 19 pandemic,

01:16 - 41.096 what did we learn here in Pennsylvania?

01:16 - 43.131 And, what are the solutions

01:16 - 46.134 that we're implementing to address some of those things?

01:16 - 50.672 So, the Covid 19 pandemic was, you know,

01:16 - 54.876 I joined Public Health in March of 2020, having come from academia.

01:16 - 00.482 So I also, along with you, lived through the pandemic with very specific eyes.

01:17 - 03.251 And I think I learned a lot during the pandemic.

01:17 - 07.856 and I, I really think that that experience, is important.

01:17 - 09.791 One of the most important things we learn during

01:17 - 12.961 the pandemic is the need to have preexisting partnerships.

01:17 - 16.798 and rather than build a plane while it's taking off,

01:17 - 18.467 we need to have built it already.

01:17 - 21.536 And so we are at the Department of Health, and I know and Human Services

01:17 - 23.171 and other organizations

01:17 - 26.508 now that we have those connections that we made during the pandemic,

01:17 - 30.278 including with the Latino connections and with other organizations,

01:17 - 34.683 we need to maintain those connections so that when the next,

01:17 - 39.087 I hope I don't want to say it, in the next emergency,

01:17 - 42.824 we are prepared to deliver services, quickly.

01:17 - 44.993 Again, those services are delivered locally.

01:17 - 47.262 Vaccinations were delivered locally.

01:17 - 48.964 testing was delivered locally.

01:17 - 51.967 and so we need to make sure that the connections

01:17 - 56.038 are made and maintained and I think that's the most important.

01:17 - 00.208 So, you know, one of the things that, I'm working on in the department is continue

01:18 - 04.613 to make sure that we know how to reach every community,

01:18 - 09.951 quickly through their leadership so that we can get information quickly.

01:18 - 12.654 That's accurate, that's timely.

01:18 - 15.424 and because information changes, right?

01:18 - 18.427 Every day during the pandemic, something new came out.

01:18 - 21.663 So we, we have to make sure that our messages are clear

01:18 - 25.200 but also honest to say we know this today,

01:18 - 28.904 but we don't know if that will be true tomorrow as science isn't evolved.

01:18 - 31.173 That's why I became a scientist,

01:18 - 34.543 is that it's constant learning and you're learning new information.

01:18 - 38.246 So we have to deliver that information with the humbleness and honesty

01:18 - 41.249 that we know that sometimes we don't know it all right away.

01:18 - 43.785 We didn't know anything about the virus at the beginning,

01:18 - 45.654 and we learned about its transmission.

01:18 - 47.289 We learned how to treat it.

01:18 - 49.057 We learned things evolve.

01:18 - 53.161 So communication, but making sure that we have connections

01:18 - 56.631 to every community so we can communicate in the language they need to.

01:18 - 59.868 I know, for instance, in Allegheny County, I spent

01:19 - 03.271 I went a number of times to the Bhutanese community with a translator.

01:19 - 08.110 did events, online for them to try to reach them.

01:19 - 10.078 We did other events in other languages.

01:19 - 11.947 Again, I don't speak any other languages.

01:19 - 15.050 So we went with community members and translators

01:19 - 17.018 to the community to talk to them.

01:19 - 20.222 And we have to maintain those connections to be able

01:19 - 23.191 to respond in the next emergency.

01:19 - 27.462 Secretary Brown, I know it was the pandemic was before your tenure

01:19 - 31.500 as secretary of revenue, but how did the pandemic touch the Department of Revenue?

01:19 - 34.669 One thing that

01:19 - 37.539 obviously we had to,

01:19 - 41.376 put together a system to respond to the, the pandemic.

01:19 - 44.980 But one thing that we were really worried about at the time was

01:19 - 49.217 how was going to affect our finances, because the parts of the economy,

01:19 - 52.220 like the economy across the country, was shut down for a month.

01:19 - 56.258 something we didn't, hadn't experienced before.

01:19 - 59.427 and it was really no history to go by. So,

01:20 - 03.532 you know, when we were trying to develop a budget at the time, it was

01:20 - 06.535 we decided to do a five month budget, which was never done before.

01:20 - 10.005 So we were looking at this as something that would really affect

01:20 - 13.008 the Department of Revenues ability to fund programs at the time.

01:20 - 16.211 But but there has been some silver linings.

01:20 - 17.279 And one of the silver linings

01:20 - 20.549 in the pandemic is we've never been, at this point

01:20 - 23.752 in time, never been in a better financial position than we are.

01:20 - 24.219 Right now.

01:20 - 25.854 the people of

01:20 - 28.924 this commonwealth Latino community and the rest

01:20 - 31.927 throughout the state really buckled down and

01:20 - 35.764 did whatever they can to get through that period of time

01:20 - 37.165 in the most productive way possible.

01:20 - 40.402 And because of that, in 2019,

01:20 - 45.140 the state had a rainy day fund of $256,000.

01:20 - 50.045 Now our our fiscal balance is $11 billion.

01:20 - 53.248 And that occurred.

01:20 - 54.416 Thank you.

01:20 - 57.686 And that's that occurred only because of the, you know, community

01:20 - 00.689 and this commonwealth during the most difficult time

01:21 - 03.792 that we could possibly have,

01:21 - 06.361 maintained their businesses, kept

01:21 - 09.364 operating their businesses, kept on employing people.

01:21 - 13.201 And we are in a stronger place now than we were before the pandemic.

01:21 - 16.104 And that is something that, we didn't expect

01:21 - 18.506 and we didn't expect that to happen. But there was a silver lining.

01:21 - 21.810 I'm being told we have three minutes left.

01:21 - 25.680 And so I will give our panelists, about a minute each

01:21 - 29.251 to just share their final thoughts with the crowd.

01:21 - 30.919 You can start.

01:21 - 33.922 Secretary Acosta yes, great.

01:21 - 35.924 Well, again, thank you all so much.

01:21 - 39.895 really appreciate this opportunity to talk for a few minutes with you today

01:21 - 43.832 and just look forward to continuing to work with you.

01:21 - 47.669 You know, I firmly believe that we have challenges

01:21 - 51.840 all across our Commonwealth, but that the people who are in the communities

01:21 - 55.744 that are experiencing those challenges, they know how to solve those problems.

01:21 - 59.614 And it's my job to listen, to just listen and understand

01:21 - 03.852 what can we do with our resources to connect those dots,

01:22 - 07.589 to build those bridges, to make it easier to access resources

01:22 - 10.592 and to make sure that it's done in a way that's safe

01:22 - 14.062 and dignified and actually gets the job done.

01:22 - 19.401 So I hope that you feel, very much that our door is open.

01:22 - 22.604 We have county assistance offices all over the Commonwealth.

01:22 - 25.740 My team and I would love to hear from you with your ideas.

01:22 - 28.843 And we hope that we can go forward in partnership

01:22 - 31.846 and make sure that every Pennsylvanian is healthy,

01:22 - 35.417 thriving and living their life with security and dignity.

01:22 - 36.351 Thanks so much.

01:22 - 40.989 Thank you.

01:22 - 43.825 Secretary Bogan thanks.

01:22 - 49.631 so first, again, the vision of the the Pennsylvania Department of Health, I,

01:22 - 53.001 I, I'm sure you all share that which is a healthy Pennsylvania for all.

01:22 - 55.270 And that means we all have to work together.

01:22 - 57.205 So we're looking forward to partnering

01:22 - 00.375 with all of our communities to make sure we're achieving that health.

01:23 - 04.045 we have a number of programs,

01:23 - 07.082 that I want to make sure you all know you can participate in.

01:23 - 10.452 So we have our state health improvement plan, and we have committees

01:23 - 13.722 and people who join those calls to work as working groups.

01:23 - 16.992 So if you're not already on a committee and want to join our state

01:23 - 22.297 health improvement plan, team, we have, we welcome all to the table.

01:23 - 25.900 So if you go online to our State Health Improvement Plan website, you can find

01:23 - 30.138 how to, reach out and, let us know you want to participate again.

01:23 - 31.539 You need to be at the table

01:23 - 35.310 to be able to help us make sure we're achieving what we need to together.

01:23 - 40.048 and, we have a number of resources and data, please,

01:23 - 43.985 as you're writing your grants and your organizations are working to,

01:23 - 48.023 to get those dollars to do the work you want to do,

01:23 - 51.393 please reach out if there's data that you're missing from our website

01:23 - 54.429 that you think would be helpful, please let us know that so that we can

01:23 - 57.832 make sure we're meeting the needs that you all have as individuals

01:23 - 01.703 and as organizations to be able to apply for those those dollars.

01:24 - 02.704 But we're here to partner.

01:24 - 05.607 Like Doctor Kirsch said, we're here. We're listening.

01:24 - 08.143 We really appreciate all that you do.

01:24 - 12.147 as individuals and organizations and as a community,

01:24 - 14.215 and where we want to partner with all of you.

01:24 - 15.483 So thank you so much for having me.

01:24 - 18.887 It's really an honor and privilege to be here and to serve the Commonwealth.

01:24 - 22.891 Thank you.

01:24 - 26.261 Secretary Brown

01:24 - 29.831 thank, Genesis and gradually her for her service to Allentown.

01:24 - 32.867 and, just wanted to thank all of you

01:24 - 35.103 for the opportunity to be with all of you today.

01:24 - 38.073 Nothing more exciting than talking taxes at a casino.

01:24 - 39.674 I know that when.

01:24 - 43.378 I hope I didn't put you all.

01:24 - 45.780 At least I didn't put it all to sleep today.

01:24 - 48.249 But the one thing I just wanted to mention.

01:24 - 51.252 We are trying to make our district offices more

01:24 - 54.489 reflective of the populations, throughout Pennsylvania.

01:24 - 55.957 And we're currently,

01:24 - 58.760 in we're still in a recruiting initiative,

01:24 - 01.763 across the state for Latino members of our team,

01:25 - 04.999 not only in the Way Valley, but throughout the state.

01:25 - 08.403 So, as you go back, if there are folks that, you know,

01:25 - 11.072 they're looking to reach out and be part of our team,

01:25 - 14.075 I want to encourage that so that we can continue to build

01:25 - 17.112 on the strength of the Department of Revenue on behalf of our communities.

01:25 - 20.115 Thank you. Thank you.

01:25 - 24.552 Three of the people at the forefront of making sure that Pennsylvania state

01:25 - 27.722 government is addressing the health disparities

01:25 - 30.892 that exist within the Latino community, and we thank them all for their work

01:25 - 31.860 and their effort.

01:25 - 32.527 Thank you all.

01:25 - 35.530 We hope that you enjoyed this panel and enjoy your day.

01:25 - 36.064 Thank you.

01:25 - 44.205 Thank you for leading this conversation.

01:25 - 47.742 And of course, thank you to our panelists and the officers that they represent

01:25 - 51.513 for addressing this topic and for so gracefully diving

01:25 - 54.516 into the complexities of this conversation.

01:25 - 57.452 Up next, we have breakout sessions.

01:25 - 59.521 Very interesting questions.

01:25 - 03.725 So if you're not sure where to go next, please refer to the screens

01:26 - 06.794 on the side of the stage to see what we have.

01:26 - 11.132 And as a reminder, our friends from Unidos us

01:26 - 15.036 Action Fund are having a press conference at 11:30 a.m.

01:26 - 16.371 at the Bar Piron.

01:26 - 20.875 If you are not sure where that is, you can just ask any of our staff member

01:26 - 24.946 a staff members and they will gladly point you in the right direction.

01:26 - 26.080 All media

01:26 - 30.118 members are required to be there, and any other guests that would like to hear

01:26 - 32.554 the very interesting news that they have to share with us.

01:26 - 36.991 It's,

01:26 - 40.361 you're on the front via everyone swap chat.

01:26 - 42.697 You know, I'm serious. We're getting closer.

01:26 - 44.666 This isn't over.

01:26 - 47.669 The crash is hard to feel.

01:26 - 50.371 But you got it all.

01:26 - 51.673 Believe it.

01:26 - 56.344 When you can't get up on your phone, you're the best sounding outfit.

01:26 - 59.347 I got it, I. Cause this is Africa.

01:26 - 01.516 I mean, I'm not.

01:27 - 03.818 I'm a cop. And sign me up.

01:27 - 06.754 Know I got it right this time for Africa.