Health Disparities Center
Encyclopedia
Health Disparities Centers refer to institutions that cover a broad range of needs and focus areas to decrease currently disproportionate illness and disease rates that lead to health disparities
, as well as promote the engagement, empowerment and recruitment of underrepresented populations in health professions. Furthermore, many programs devote significant resources to developing cultural competency training to promote the deliverance of culturally sensitive healthcare by faculty, staff, as well as current and future healthcare providers. These services are usually tailored to meeting specific goals or missions of the individual components common in most of the operating Health Disparities Centers. The overall mission of Health Disparities Centers is to eradicate health disparities and improve health care.
According to the Healthy People 2010
Objectives list of ten largest Racial and Ethnic disparities:
, diabetes, specific types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and child health promotion.
A few examples of specific research studies that have been conducted through a partnership of Health Disparities Centers are as follows:
and community based organizations that can serve mediums to disburse educational materials and provide valuable information about the needs of the community to the centers.
Examples of successful community outreach programs established by national Health Disparities Centers are provided below.
which is a key facet of sustainability
. The process of eliminating health disparities involves breaking language barriers, improving access to health-care, stamping out violence, and alleviating poor health conditions associated with a life of poverty. An example:
refers to the burden that certain groups experience due to the physical environment that encompasses there day to day lives. People in different geographical locations may experience health disparities due to pollutants in the food or air, stress factors caused by their physical environment, and availability of different resources. Many health disparity centers have programs to promote a cleaner environment and healthy lifestyles, preventing disparities caused by the environmental. A few examples:
Health disparities
Health equity refers to the study of differences in the quality of health and health care across different populations....
, as well as promote the engagement, empowerment and recruitment of underrepresented populations in health professions. Furthermore, many programs devote significant resources to developing cultural competency training to promote the deliverance of culturally sensitive healthcare by faculty, staff, as well as current and future healthcare providers. These services are usually tailored to meeting specific goals or missions of the individual components common in most of the operating Health Disparities Centers. The overall mission of Health Disparities Centers is to eradicate health disparities and improve health care.
History
The Minority Health and Health Disparities Act of 2000, Public Law 106-525 led the way for an innovative program established by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCHMD). This program, originally entitled the Project EXPORT, now bears the title of the NCMHD Centers of Excellence (COE) Program. The mission of this program is to develop centers of research, training, partnership and community outreach in the field and study of health disparities. Through grant support from the NCHMD, these centers contribute to scientific advancements and community programs with the aim of eliminating health disparities. Successful centers are currently operating in 31 states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many of these centers are made in partnerships with research-intensive universities, medical colleges and institutions, historically black colleges and universities, universities that serve Hispanic populations, tribal colleges and liberal arts schools. As of 2007, the NCMHD COE program had supported the development of 37 centers.Target Populations
It is a common misconception that Health Disparities Centers are tailored primarily for minorities, but in actuality their mission extends to a wide range of groups. These include: Age, gender, ethnicity, geographical location, or any other differences related to socioeconomic status or environmental factors. However, the largest disparities are most prominent in minority groups.According to the Healthy People 2010
Healthy People 2010
Healthy People 2010 , started in January 2000 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is a nationwide health promotion and disease prevention plan to be achieved by the year 2010...
Objectives list of ten largest Racial and Ethnic disparities:
- New cases of gonorrheaGonorrheaGonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The usual symptoms in men are burning with urination and penile discharge. Women, on the other hand, are asymptomatic half the time or have vaginal discharge and pelvic pain...
rank number 1 for Black non-Hispanics - Congenital syphilisCongenital syphilisCongenital syphilis is syphilis present in utero and at birth, and occurs when a child is born to a mother with secondary syphilis. Untreated syphilis results in a high risk of a bad outcome of pregnancy, including mulberry molars in the fetus. Syphilis can cause miscarriages, premature births,...
ranks number 1 for Hispanics - Fetal alcohol syndromeFetal alcohol syndromeFetal alcohol syndrome is a pattern of mental and physical defects that can develop in a fetus in association with high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Current research also implicates other lifestyle choices made by the prospective mother...
ranks number 1 for American Indian/Alaska Native - Smoking by pregnant women ranks number 1 for Whites
Research Component
The focus and importance of addressing growing national health disparities represents a relatively new shift in health research. Both the NCMHD Research Endowment Program and the Community-Based Participatory Research Program are initiatives to promote awareness and research incentives for those interested in studying specific health disparities and the effectiveness of current outreach programs. Major research concentrations currently being studied include, but are not limited to, conditions such as HIV/AIDS, obesityObesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
, diabetes, specific types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and child health promotion.
A few examples of specific research studies that have been conducted through a partnership of Health Disparities Centers are as follows:
- “Developing Measures of Parental Knowledge in Physical Activity,” a study led by principal investigator Kitty Chan, PhD, was conducted through the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions . This study examined the parental knowledge of physical activity for health promotion in an effort to increase awareness in target populations where this knowledge may be lacking.
- “Using Community Asset-Mapping in Health Disparities Research” conducted by principal investigator Veronica Parker, Ph.D. and her research team of the EXPORT Center at Clemson University involved a process called asset-mapping, which focused on community health strengths within specific areas serving poor, racial/ethnic minority and rural populations. The mission of this study was to identify these strong resources and engage communities to mobilize, preserve and utilize these faculties.
- Cancer Disparities Research Partnership Program (CDRP) is a Cooperative Planning Grant for Cancer Disparities Research Partnership Program initiated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The focus of this program is to plan, develop and conduct research via radiation oncology clinical trials in hospitals serving disproportionately high numbers of patients from populations affected by health disparities.
- The Diabetes Peer Counseling Study, currently underway at the Connecticut Center for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos (CEHDL), under the leadership of Rafael Pérez-Escamilla and his co-principal investigators, Grace Damio and Jyoti Chhabra, is a new community-based intervention study. A major aim of their research is to establish a culturally specific diabetes management program that incorporates efforts of community peer-counselors and health professionals through a partnership with the Hispanic Health Council and Hartford Hospital and University of Connecticut.
Education and Mentoring Component
As disproportionate burdens of certain diseases and health conditions among specific populations are a growing concern, so is the need for widespread education and training for both the public and health professionals alike to be able to cope with, and prevent the occurrence of growing disparities in their communities. Health Disparities Centers across the nation are active in implementing educational resources that range from undergraduate and graduate coursework, postdoctoral training opportunities, conference or seminar series, and diversity and cultural competency training programs. Additionally, these centers are devoted to the recruitment and retention of research scientists and healthcare practitioners from racial/ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities and socio-economically disadvantaged individuals. Many institutions support faulty mentoring of underrepresented students who are interested in completing community-based participatory research on health disparities.Community Outreach Component
The community outreach component of Health Disparities Centers provides the essential link between advancements in research and implementing significant findings directly into the communities being studied. Emphasis has also been placed on giving target populations affected by health disparities access to health information in a community setting where they feel comfortable to have sensitive health queries addressed. A major goal of Health Disparities Centers is to give the public the knowledge and encouragement necessary to empower them to promote a healthy lifestyle in their homes and communities and be proponents for their own healthcare. Health Disparities Centers also may partner with grassrootsGrassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
and community based organizations that can serve mediums to disburse educational materials and provide valuable information about the needs of the community to the centers.
Examples of successful community outreach programs established by national Health Disparities Centers are provided below.
- Annual Health Fairs provided at Voorhees CollegeVoorhees CollegeVoorhees College is a private, historically black college in Denmark, South Carolina. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. Voorhees College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
for community residents allow attendees to receive health services and information. At these fairs, people can receive free information about nutrition, physical activities and general health-care. They can also receive blood pressureBlood pressureBlood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
and blood sugarBlood sugarThe blood sugar concentration or blood glucose level is the amount of glucose present in the blood of a human or animal. Normally in mammals, the body maintains the blood glucose level at a reference range between about 3.6 and 5.8 mM , or 64.8 and 104.4 mg/dL...
checks and learn about maintaining their body mass indexBody mass indexThe body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
. - The University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, which is currently developing a new health disparities center, already has held numerous community outreach health and nutrition workshops and recently held its first annual Healthy Vegetable Cook-Off as part of Dr. Carolyn Tucker’s Health-Smart Church Program. The event brought women from predominantly African American attended churches together to compete in an effort to create both the most delicious and healthiest vegetable dish.
- The Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions has led the way with its innovative Project LIVE! outreach initiative. Project LIVE! is a collaboration between the center and the web-based organization, Poetology. The joint efforts have produced a compilation CD geared towards raising awareness about health disparities for young African American adults through a familiar medium.
Administration Component
The administration component of numerous Health Disparities Centers is responsible for the oversight and management of all center initiatives and programs and ensures the fiscal responsibility of the institution. It is also common for the governing body of a health disparities center to manage grants and collaborative partnerships between the center and various university, hospital or community entities.Social Justice Implications
Health Disparities Centers promote the concept of social justiceSocial justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
which is a key facet of sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
. The process of eliminating health disparities involves breaking language barriers, improving access to health-care, stamping out violence, and alleviating poor health conditions associated with a life of poverty. An example:
- The VCU Center for Health Disparities will be holding “The First International Conference on Culture, Ethnicity, and Brain Injury Rehabilitation.” There is a communication problem between survivors and rehabilitation providers who speak different languages. The conference brings together experts from different countries to find an effective plan of action for better communication.
Environmental Justice Implications
Environment factors contribute to health disparities. Environmental justiceEnvironmental justice
Environmental justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the words of Bunyan Bryant,...
refers to the burden that certain groups experience due to the physical environment that encompasses there day to day lives. People in different geographical locations may experience health disparities due to pollutants in the food or air, stress factors caused by their physical environment, and availability of different resources. Many health disparity centers have programs to promote a cleaner environment and healthy lifestyles, preventing disparities caused by the environmental. A few examples:
- Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities: In 2005, the CRCHD started the Community Networks Program, which “aims to reduce cancer health disparities through community-based participatory education, training, and research among racial/ethnic minorities and underserved populations.” The CRCHD will implement this plan through training and educating individuals of communities where a cancer disparity is prevalent. They also plan to provide “evidence-based information” to local, state, and Federal lawmakers to inspire policy changes that reduce cancer disparities.
- Hopkins Center for Health Disparity Solution – The Hopkins center teamed up with Operation Reach Out SouthWest to hold a nutrition workshop. At the workshop, licensed nutritionist provide information on eating healthily by presenting alternative recipes and encouraging portion control.
List of Notable Health Disparities Centers
(Affiliated Institutions in parenthesis)- Hopkins Center for Health Disparities SolutionsHopkins Center for Health Disparities SolutionsThe Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions , a research center within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was established in October 2002 with a 5-year grant from the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities , of the National Institutes of Health under...
(Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthThe Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is part of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
) - Center for Health Equity (University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
) - Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Health Disparities (Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
) - Adventist HealthCare's Center on Health Disparities (Adventist HealthCare)
- University of Virginia Health System Center on Health Disparities (University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
) - UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities (University of California-Davis)
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Disparities & the Odessa Chambliss Wellness Center (Bethune-Cookman University School of Nursing)
- Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (National Cancer InstituteNational Cancer InstituteThe National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
) - Arizona Health Disparities Center
- Brooklyn Center for Health Disparities (Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health)
- Iowa Center on Health Disparities (Iowa Center for Immigrant Leadership and Integration, and Cultural Connections)
- KDHE Center for Health Disparities
- Center for the Advancement of Health Disparities Research (University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and the University of HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiThe University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
at Manoa Schools of Nursing) - Case Center for Reducing Health Disparities (Case Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
) - Center of Excellence on Health Disparities (Morehouse School of Medicine)
- The Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research (Morehouse CollegeMorehouse CollegeMorehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
) - Center on Native Elder Health Disparities
- Center for the Study of Health Disparities
- Center for Interdisciplinary Health Disparities Research
- Center for Innovation in Health Disparities Research
- Center for Eliminating Health Disparities Among Latinos
- The University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Health Disparities (University of MarylandUniversity of MarylandWhen the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
School of Medicine) - Center for Health Disparities Research
- Texas Center for Health Disparities
- Hispanic Health Disparities Research Center (University of Texas School of Public Health)
- UTPA South Texas Border Health Disparities Center (Temple UniversityTemple UniversityTemple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
) - Center for Research on Health Disparities (Clemson UniversityClemson UniversityClemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
)