REDUCING HEALTH DISPARITIES IN MD ALONG THE NATIONAL CAPITAL BORDER

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Maryland Prevention Research Center (UMD-PRC) focuses on reducing health disparities in Maryland. The national capital border population in Prince George's County (PGC), Maryland within the "National Capital Beltway" is specifically targeted for community health improvement. This area is predominantly medically underserved and minority. Furthermore, this area suffers from remarkably high rates of primary Syphilis, HIV, stroke, diabetes, low birth weight, and other health problems. Populations in this underserved area work, socialize, and access health care and education in bordering Montgomery County (MC), Maryland and the District of Columbia (DC). The contrasts and similarities between the border population in PGC and the border population of MC and DC are pronounced in regard to demographics, health services, and health status. The UMD School of Public Health (SPH) happens to be located in Prince George's County at the nexus of these comparisons. Although the SPH has partnered with the City of Seat Pleasant in the underserved area of PGC since 1999, it needs UMD-PRC resources to fully address the glaring need for an infrastructure to link needs with resources in this region. The UMD-PRC infrastructure will build on the triumvirate among the City of Seat Pleasant, the SPH, and the Prince George's County Health Department and further engage with organizations within and across the many area borders. It will cross borders to address issues that exacerbate disenfranchisement. The resulting cross-border collaborative will provide new capacity for the region to address shared health problems. A pilot project on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) exhibits the community-based-participatory-research approach and focuses the UMD-PRC on a health problem disproporationately affecting minorities, and requiring social and systems-level solutions. The pilot examines how to enhance the Prince George's County Health Department HIV/STI prevention programs related to its Partner Services. Through enhanced engagement with HIV/STI clients, tradional borders (barriers) will be crossed to deliver educational outreach to individuals at risk, address risk inducing venues, and link areas of need with resources. RELEVANCE (See instructions): The Category 2 University of Maryland Prevention Research Center (UMD-PRC) creates infrastructure and systems to address the high morbidity rates in underserved areas. The pilot project exhibits community- based-participatory-research to enhance infrastrucure and systems regarding HIV and other sexually transmitted infection (HIV/STI) Partner Services.