CHICAGO | U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis is taking an interest in the debate over improved access to health care, viewing it as a way to boost Latino representation in the medical profession.

Solis on Sunday told the annual convention of the National Council of La Raza she thinks any attempt to improve health care in the United States has to include efforts to boost the number of Latinos who become doctors or nurses.

"It's not enough to have just more doctors, we need to have culturally and linguistically appropriate medical care," said Solis, who spoke to the activist group representing Latino interests as part of a program about health care.

She said supporting programs encouraging more Latinos to enter the medical field not only would provide more doctors, nurses and technicians with whom some Latinos would feel more comfortable, it also would help fill the medical ranks in general.

Solis said the Department of Labor plans to use about $220 million in economic stimulus funds to provide grants for programs that encourage people to enter the medical profession.

"We want to change the face of health care at its very core," she said. "Increasing the number of Latino health professionals will improve the quality of health care for all Americans."

Solis said she also plans to have her agency add 670 investigators and inspectors whose job it will be to check out medical facilities to ensure work conditions are safe for patients and staff.

During her roughly 25-minute speech at McCormick Place, Solis repeatedly touted the ambitions of President Barack Obama, who is attempting to persuade Congress to approve a program expanding coverage to the roughly 47 million Americans without health insurance.

"Barack Obama has made a commitment to provide health care for all Americans," said Solis, adding that Latinos ought to be particularly interested because they account for about 15 million of the uninsured population.

She also cited federal figures suggesting about 40 percent of uninsured children are Latino.

"The cost of inaction is just too great to stand by and do nothing," Solis said.