The mission of Puentes de Salud is twofold: It exists to ensure the health and wellness of South Philadelphia’s rapidly growing Latino immigrant community, and it serves to educate future generations of community advocates, health care providers, educators and leaders by providing opportunities for responsible and respectful community engagement. Puentes de Salud operates on a multidisciplinary, community-based collaborative model that promotes health and wellness through low-cost, high-quality health care, community development and innovative educational programs. Since its founding, Puentes de Salud has prioritized the development of a comprehensive plan for Latino health in South Philadelphia, guided by three objectives: 1. To provide medical services targeting the immediate acute and chronic health needs of the population 2. To design sustainable, long-term strategies for health promotion and disease prevention 3. To create a research partnership between local universities and the community in order to develop best practices for the care of the Latino population, locally and nationally