Promising Programs in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care Addressing... researched and compiled by Sarah McCloskey, Erin Kennedy, and Michele Sloan December 2004 and updated November 2007
African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaskan Natives make up almost one third of the U.S. population. Within these racial and ethnic groups, about half of each respective population could be considered poor or near poor. When looking at healthcare data, it is a common trend that members of ethnic and minority groups have, in general, higher rates of disease and lower rates of seeking care. Furthermore, higher percentages of these groups are on Medicaid or without insurance. Demographically, minority groups impacted by healthcare disparities are concentrated in several locations, mainly in the southwest, but in other states as well.* Because of the importance of cultural competence and community building in order to eliminate disparities, many programs and organizations have emerged that target eliminating disparities for specific racial and ethnic groups.
*“Key Facts: Race, Ethnicity, and Medical Care”. Kaiser Family Foundation. January 2007.
www.kff.org/minorityhealth/upload/6069-02.pdf
download entire summary report (1.1MB - PDF  ) |
African American Health Initiative (AAHI) Health Planning Project, California – The goal of this program is to address disparities within five health conditions among African Americans and other ethnic groups in San Bernardino, Calif. The California Endowment gave a two-year grant for this project to AAHI in 2003. The program involved collecting data, evaluating methods, and making policy recommendations based on the findings. Following this project, AAHI has officially been named African American Health Institute of San Bernardino County, Inc. It received its Articles of Incorporation from the California Secretary of State and anticipates receiving 501(c)(3) status in the near future. www.aahi.info The full report of the Health Planning Project can be found at www.aahi.info/AAHIFINAL%20REPORT.PDF
African American Health Program (AAHP), Montgomery County, Md. – This is a community-based program that seeks to eliminate disparities among African Americans and other ethnicities. It has created coalitions in Infant Mortality, HIV/AIDS, Diabetes & Oral Health to develop preventative, educational, and research strategies for improving the health status of African Americans. Services include classes on how to quit smoking, adapting to living with diabetes, supporting Hearts n’ Parks, and educational programs regarding HIV/AIDS. www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hhstmpl.asp?url=/content/hhs/phs/index.asp#aahip
Excellence Centers To Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities (EXCEED) – EXCEED is an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality program that gives grants for creating teams of investigators in a five-year effort to analyze underlying causes and contributing factors for disparities and to identify and implement strategies for reducing and eliminating them www.ahrq.gov/research/exceed.pdf. Overall this study seeks to assess the health of all ethnic groups; however, specific EXCEED centers are dedicated to evaluating the health of African Americans, such as the South Carolina Center exceed.musc.edu and one in Georgia www.msm.edu/pher/exceed.htm.
The Balm in Gilead Inc. – The Balm in Gilead is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve health of the African Diaspora, not only in the U.S. but throughout the world. This organization tries to achieve this mission mainly through faith-based initiatives. It has allowed thousands of churches to address life-threatening diseases in communities, particularly focusing on HIV/AIDS. Other programs, such as the ISIS project, focuses on educating women about cervical cancer. This organization has created a network of almost 500 churches in the U.S. aimed at helping eliminate health disparities. www.balmingilead.org/home.asp
For more information, contact Eric Jacobson (302-831-1711).
photo on this page courtesy of the Administration on Aging
