Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Ilana S. Mittman, PhD, MS, Peggie A. Smith, MPH, David Mann, MD, MS, and Carlessia A. Hussein, Dr PH, RN. Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, 201 W Preston Street, Room 500, Baltimore, MD 21201, (410) 767-6539, imittman@jhsph.edu

The State of Maryland ranks in the top ten states nationally for its minority composition. Significant ethnic and racial health disparities have been documented in Maryland for a number of years and persist to date. Pooled data from 2001-2003 demonstrated that the all-cause mortality of African Americans in Maryland surpassed that of whites in all of its twenty-four jurisdictions. In order to address these disparities, the Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities secured federal funding to focus on diversifying matriculation from health professional schools. In addition, this effort seeks to implement a comprehensive evaluation program aiming to achieve system's change in the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to increase the focus by the state and local health departments on reducing health disparities.

Both initiatives employ the following methods: (1) assessing needs, (2) identifying Best Practices, (3) engaging significant components of the State Health Department, private sector providers and minority groups (4) informing legislative efforts, (5) serving as a resource to health professionals, (6) collecting, monitoring and evaluating data on process, impact and outcome on interventions to reduce health disparities.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants would be able to

• Recognize the adverse effects of health disparities and the urgent need to identify solutions at the state level
• Identify at least one Best Practice for increasing workforce diversity and/or assessing their institutions’ state level efforts related to health disparities
• Discuss initial steps to create a working alliance with at least one key stakeholder

Keywords: Health Disparities, Assessments

Related Web page: www.mdhealthdisparities.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation