Assistant Secretary for Aging Addressed
2007 National Minority Women's Health Summit

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell addressed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2007 National Minority Women's Health Summit on August 23, 2007 in Washington, DC. During her remarks, she highlighted HHS' priorities to eliminate health disparities among minority populations and the Administration on Aging efforts to modernize the nation's long term care system for future generations. Assistant Secretary Carbonell emphasized the importance of minority women continuing to be involved in the health and well being of our country. During her presentation, Assistant Secretary Carbonell announced that eight metropolitan communities with high concentrations of Hispanic elders have been selected to participate in an HHS pilot project which will focus on eliminating health disparities such as diabetes and other chronic conditions and diseases.

The opening session of the HHS 2007 National Minority Women's Health Summit was web cast by Kaisernetwork.org, a free health policy news and web casting service of the Kaiser Family Foundation. Please visit Kaisernetwork.org to hear the Assistant Secretary's remarks.

Click here to learn about the HHS Hispanic Elders Health Initiative.

HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Addresses N4A Conference

HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell provided keynote remarks before the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging 32nd Annual Conference and Tradeshow on Tuesday, July 31, 2007. Assistant Secretary Carbonell, as head of the national aging services network, is working to modernize community-based long term care and provide greater assurance that older individuals in the United States maintain their independence in the community as long as possible. She addressed the ongoing policies and efforts that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration on Aging are pursuing as part of that modernization effort. Assistant Secretary Carbonell told conference attendees that, “The new provisions in the OAA position the Network to take the leadership role in modernizing long-term care specifically to foster greater independence and dignity for older Americans. Well, it is time for all of us to recognize that we ARE positioned to achieve that objective. We have the authority and we have the tools. Now, we have to use them.”

Click here for Assistant Secretary for Aging’s Remarks