AbstractThis article introduces a framework for the study of access to medical care that has been used extensively in national and local surveys, and demonstrates its application to an assessment of health and health care needs in a Hispanic immigrant and refugee community. The presentation of the framework, study design, findings, and implications for research and planning points out the utility of this framework for organizing systematic community assessment data‐gathering activities; demonstrates how such an assessment could be incorporated into a public health nursing curriculum or readily adopted by public health nurse professionals in their communities; illustrates the potential for effective partnerships between public health practitioners and academics in conducting and disseminating the findings; and provides a broader conceptual, empirical, and policy‐oriented context in which to view local community‐assessment activities and their relevance for health policy and program develo