Improving Minority Healthcare through Dialogue and Dissemination of Information

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Health disparities are prevalent among African Americans and other minorities. This project was developed in response to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's (NICHD), of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), initiative to address and eliminate health care disparities among minorities. An Academic-Community Partnership has been formed between Talladega College and Rocky Mount Baptist Church community, in collaboration with a cohort of African American physicians in the area. The primary focus of this pilot project application is to address health disparities among citizens of the Rocky Mount Community. The goals of the project are: 1) to identify the most common challenges that adversely affect African Americans access to health care and health care information; 2) provide information how hereditary factors and life styles affect minority health and collect data to help establish national policies to eliminate health care disparities; 3) determine the best location and method for information dissemination on health care disparities. The project will provide a structured forum for citizens to enter into informal and formal dialogue with health care professionals and educators to discuss and garner information on health risk factors, such as improper diet, lack of exercise, postponing visits to the doctor's office, and inability to ask the doctor appropriate questions. The goals will be achieved by conducting open meetings at the College and the Rocky Mount Baptist Church that will bring health care providers and citizens together to engage in dialogue, interactive discussions, hear presentations on health care, and collect data to help in the development of national health care policies designed to eliminate health disparities among minorities.