Many Latino residents in Mecklenburg County still face significant barriers to accessing health care.
That's what community members heard Friday at the Mecklenburg County Health Department's annual Meck Design conference, where officials presented the department's 2025 Community Needs Assessment, which in part focused on Latino health outcomes.
The assessment found that 40% of Latinos in Mecklenburg County lack a primary care doctor, compared with 17% of county residents overall. Nearly 70,000 Latinos are uninsured in the county, Mecklenburg officials said.
The report also found that the leading cause of death among Latinos in Mecklenburg is unintentional injuries, including car crashes, fires and drownings.
Karina Gonzalez, the Mecklenburg County Health Department's Latino Hispanic engagement program manager, said often residents are unaware of where to seek care.
"Sometimes people don't know what to do, or where to go, when they need to seek care," Gonzalez said.
The department has trained 10 certified Latino community health workers to connect residents with clinics and other health resources.
Community members also worked with county staff on Friday to begin developing an action plan based on the assessment's findings.
