Oral

The diversity of the United States (US) population is increasing. The Census 2000 indicates that one out of four persons in the US are non-Whites with Hispanic Americans constituting the largest and fastest growing minority group. When one considers health disparities along racial/ethnic and socioeconomic lines, the realization is that many factors come in to play. The Healthy People 2010 goal of “eliminating all health disparities” highlights the need for health care providers to be cross-culturally competent. This necessitates health care professionals to be able to elicit, understand, and work with traditional health practices used by their clients. Looking at educational status, poverty levels, and perceived health status by ethnicity gives us a broad view of where disparities are inherent. To impact health disparities, inclusivity and diversity of the population must be considered. Policy changes as well as programs that address these underlying factors are required. This session will include several presentations addressing the need and importance of eliminating health disparities in the U.S.

Session Objectives: At the end of the session, the participant will be able to: (1) List the social factors that create inclusivity and disparity; (2) Describe social factors that contribute to health disparities; (3) Assess program needs and recommend policy changes thus help low-income countries reduce child mortality.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing