Efforts Seek To Increase Dental Funding, Encourage Clinical Trial Participation, Boost Hepatitis B Treatment, Help Minorities To Become Health Professionals
The following highlights recent initiatives and events related to minority health.
-
American Dental Association: Jerry Long, chair of ADA's Council on Government Affairs, recently testified at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee subcommittee on the interior, calling upon Congress to adequately fund the Indian Health Services dental program. According to Long, there are 130 vacancies in the dental program. He said an additional $6 million is needed to fully fund a student loan repayment program for dentists and to eliminate the vacancies (ADA release, 4/19).
- Kentucky: More than 100 University of Kentucky medical workers on Thursday attended a panel discussion on cultural competency that addressed religious beliefs, dietary regimens, family involvement and other issues related to providing diverse heath care, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. Panelists included representatives from the Muslim, Hispanic, Asian and Appalachian communities (Isaacs, Lexington Herald-Leader, 4/27).
- Illinois: The Illinois Department of Public Health's Center for Minority Health Services in partnership with Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity on Thursday began the "Building the Legacy of Good Health" campaign, which seeks to encourage black people to take responsibility for their health. The effort began with an event offering HIV, blood pressure, cholesterol and prostate screenings, as well as information on how to better manage health conditions (IDPH release, 4/26).
-
National Medical Association: NMA recently announced that it has partnered with AstraZeneca to strengthen a campaign that seeks to urge black physicians to become involved in clinical studies as a way to have more black clinical trial participants, All Headline News reports. The campaign, called Project IMPACT -- Increase Minority Participation and Awareness of Clinical Trials -- educates and trains black physicians on clinical trials and encourages their participation (All Headline News, 4/19).
- San Francisco: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, other city officials and representatives from more than 50 health care and Asian/Pacific Islander organizations on Wednesday launched the city's first "Hep B Free Campaign." The two-year effort aims to screen, vaccinate and treat all Asian/Pacific Islander residents for hepatitis B (PR Newswire release 4/23).
- South Carolina: The Thaddeus John Bell Scholarship Endowment -- which is part of the "Closing the Gap in Health Care" initiative -- seeks to encourage blacks to become health care professionals in South Carolina, the Charleston Post and Courier reports. Thaddeus Bell, an associate dean for diversity at the Medical University of South Carolina's College of Medicine, and Marlon Kimpson, an attorney at Motley Rice, are a part of a fundraising effort for the program. Kimpson, chair of the fundraiser, said $50,000 has been raised to date and the goal is raise at least $250,000 within two years (Parker, Charleston Post and Courier, 4/21).
