The goal of this program is to educate an emerging group of public health professionals in an effort to increase the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in health-related fields. Students graduating from this program would be in unique positions to join national efforts to eliminate health disparities in New York City and other metropolitan areas in the United States.

The A.S. degree program in Community Health produces graduates who can provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to the most vulnerable populations in NYC. Graduates of the program will make significant contributions toward reducing the many barriers that Hispanics and African Americans confront while negotiating services with health and human services agencies. Hostos Community College is in a unique position to train community health workers given that the majority of students are racial and ethnic minority residents from the surrounding communities, our students would match the demographics of the communities that they will serve.

Specifically, the program would meet the following objectives:

• Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to act as liaisons between health care providers and consumers.
   
• Students will demonstrate basic core competencies in health education, which will enable them to be competitive with other applicants upon entering the workforce.
   
• Students will demonstrate basic core competencies in health education, which will open long-term career paths through transfer programs.
   
• Students currently working in entry-level positions in health-related fields will demonstrate an increase in knowledge, which will enable them to successfully compete for more advanced positions.