Chair: The Honorable Louis W. Sullivan, M.D.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, 1989-1993
President Emeritus, Morehouse School of Medicine

One in four Americans is a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, with Hispanics, African Americans, and American Indians making up more than a quarter of the nation's population. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by 2050, the majority of Americans will be black, Asian, Native American, or Hispanic. In some cities and states, they already represent a majority of the population.

But health care for many Americans in these racial and ethnic groups has not sufficiently improved in our increasingly diverse society. In too many cases, race or ethnicity still determine health status, access to health care, and health outcomes. In its report, the Sullivan Commission described the current situation: too many Americans are suffering life or death consequences, the time is right and our citizens are anxious for action."

Under the leadership of Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Lonnie R. Bristow, former president of the American Medical Association, the Sullivan Alliance to Transform America's Health Professions was established to increase diversity in the health professions in order to help reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. In partnership with the Health Policy Institute of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Alliance is comprised of 28 members.