Oral

This session will feature a discourse on the factors that influence health and the role that effective resilience strategies may play in determining the health of a neighborhood. Panelists will explore the ethical debate about research in underserved communities and will discuss the implications for capacity-building efforts that address inequalities in the distribution of resources and the outcomes of disease. In addition, panelists will highlight frameworks that are used to assess the needs of vulnerable populations and identify evidence-based practices that utilize community assets for ensuring social justice. The session will provide examples of federal and local initiatives that address the issues of health equity, will highlight activities that involve an orientation to community-based participatory research and will offer varying perspectives for the design of health delivery systems.

Session Objectives: Provide an overview of the gaps in health that exist for vulnerable and underserved populations. Identify concrete strategies for addressing disparities in health services for ethnic and racial populations. Provide examples of community engagement techniques utilized in community-based participatory research that focuses on ethnic and racial populations in urban areas.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)