Epilogue.

As racial and ethnic minorities constitute ever larger percentages of the U.S. population, the overall health statistics of the nation increasingly reflect the health status of these groups. Overcoming persistent health and health-care disparities that affect racial/ethnic minorities benefits the entire society. For example, the economic well-being of a nation relies on the health of its populace. According to one report, "The nation's dependence on an increasingly minority workforce means that healthy communities of color are vital to the nation's economic fortunes". Other U.S. population groups, such as persons with disabilities or special health-care needs, persons living in certain geographic locations, and persons with certain sexual identities or sexual orientations, also have higher rates of preventable morbidity and premature death, and efforts should be directed toward improving their health outcomes and eliminating health disparities.