The Minority Health Needs Assessment Project (MHNAP) is a collaborative effort among the nine public health agencies representing the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. The goal of the project is to answer several broad research questions: 1) what data currently exist to articulate the health and socioeconomic status (SES) of different racial/ethnic populations in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area; 2) what is the health and SES status of these populations and how do they compare to the majority population; 3) what disparities exist and why; and 4) what can we do to address these disparities. In an effort to move beyond just documenting health disparities in the seven-county Metropolitan area, the MHNAP created a community advisory group to help build community consensus on health disparity priorities and commitment to take the actions needed to make a difference in the health of metro communities of color. This central advisory committee has members reflecting the communities of color in the seven-county Metropolitan area, including African American, American Indian, Somali, Latino and Southeast Asian representatives, and was charged with defining and guiding all phases of the project. In addition, the advisory committee will work directly with local public health agencies and their communities to develop recommendations based on the assessment results. The findings and recommendations of the MHNAP are to be incorporated into public health agencies work plans, including strategies for implementation.
Learning Objectives: 1) Provide an overview of the seven-county Minority Health Needs Assessment Project. 2) Discuss the advantages and challenges of using a culturally diverse community advisory group to lead the assessment.3) Describe the process of engaging local public health agencies and communities of color in developing strategies to address health disparities. 4) Present the findings and recommendations resulting from the project
Keywords: Minority Health, Needs Assessment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.