One of the things that first drew me to medicine was that health problems touched all people. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, young or old, black or white, college-educated or didn’t finish high school, everyone gets sick at some point. As a doctor, I focus more on diseases than demographics. But over the course of my career, I’ve come to see how much your income, race, and education can matter in determining whether you get sick and what treatment you get as a result. The perfectly equal care I dreamed of providing as a medical student isn’t the reality for most patients in most health systems.

Social determinants of health (SDOH), as identified by the CDC, are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. Access to healthy foods, education, safe neighborhoods, and quality relationships are just a few of the identified conditions that have the power to improve individual and population health as well as advance health equity. Too often minority communities experience conditions and cultural norms that complicate health.

The 2016 presidential election cycle has already been going on for what feels like two thousand and sixteen years, but scarcely a moment has been spent with the lens and microphone on one of America's most important demographics, young Hispanics.

The future health and health care of Latinos and other Americans will be in good hands. Listening to comments and questions from young Latinos attending a recent panel discussion on "The State of Hispanic Health in America," I was encouraged and inspired. These mostly college-aged students represent our nation's future leaders, and what I saw and heard and experienced gave me tremendous hope.

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By Carla Herreria, Associate Editor, HuffPost Hawaii