Annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of North Texas Health Science Center established the Texas Center for Health Disparities to conduct education, research and outreach activities to eliminate health disparities. As part of its education and outreach activities, the Center has been has organized very successful annual health disparity conferences for the past five years supported and funded in part by the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) focusing on different areas of health disparities. The Sixth Annual Conference on Health Disparities will be held May 26th & 27th, at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The overall theme for the conference is "An Eye towards the Future". Striking health disparities exist in the area of blinding eye diseases. Glaucoma rates in Hispanics and African Americans are three times that of Whites and diabetic retinopathy occurs at a very high rate in Hispanics. This conference will feature nationally recognized speakers and interactive debates highlighting the striking disparities in eye diseases and related comorbidities. Of specific focus will be Prevention Strategies in Medicine and Community with emphasis on Community Based solutions. Educational and interactive presentations, panel discussions and questions/ answer sessions will identify the challenges and bring conference attendees closer to developing a prospectus for the future. The Specific Aims of this application are: 1) Enhance health disparity knowledge of the health care practitioners and policy makers, and 2) Serve as a resource for the minority communities to disseminate health information, promote community participation in health education and research, and to implement disease prevention activities. The expected outcome will be increased participation of health care practitioners in minority communities and awareness of policy makers in the existing health disparities. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Health disparities are a significant challenge to the health and well being of Americans. Elimination of health disparities necessitates a full understanding of the existence of health disparities as well as best practices and novel solutions to the problem. The annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities addresses these goals.