The Penn Urban Health Lab, along with 13 community and faith-based organizations, will launch Deeply Rooted, a community-driven program to promote health equity and environmental justice in Black and brown neighborhoods in West and Southwest Philadelphia. Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Healthier Together Initiativeare the initial funders for Deeply Rooted, while the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society serves as the lead strategic greenspace implementation partner.
Tag: Health Equity
Featured Speakers Announced for NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE
Get the latest insights from leading nutrition scientists and practitioners at NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE, the flagship online meeting of the American Society for Nutrition. Explore the meeting program for scientific sessions, special events and featured speakers.
RUSH Announces Inaugural Director of RUSH BMO Institute for Health Equity
Rush University System for Health has appointed John A. Rich, MD, the inaugural director of the RUSH BMO Institute for Health Equity.
What drives racial and ethnic gaps in Medicare’s quality program?
The improvements in care for older adults from the Accountable Care Organization movement haven’t reached all older Americans equally. ACOs that include a higher percentage of patients who are Black, Hispanic, Native American or Asian have lagged behind those with higher percentage of white patients in providing preventive care and keeping patients out of the hospital. Now, a new study shows that some of this inequity stems from how an ACO’s patients get their primary care.
Penn’s Florencia Greer Polite, MD, Named to 2022 Carol Emmott Fellowship Class
Florencia Greer Polite, MD, chief of the Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has been selected for the 2022 Carol Emmott Fellowship class by the Carol Emmott Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving gender equity in healthcare leadership and governance.
Expert panel explores challenges, presents solutions to improve breast cancer outcomes for Black women
Although awareness and research activity is growing, much work still needs to be done to ensure equity in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Black women, according to an expert panel who spoke earlier this week at the virtual American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2021.
Addiction Expert and Health Equity Advocate Joins the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health
Ayana Jordan, MD, PhD, a renowned expert in addiction and other mental health conditions in underserved populations, has joined NYU Langone Health’s Department of Psychiatry as the Barbara Wilson Associate Professor of Psychiatry.
UCI-led study finds disparities in severe illness and lengthy hospitalizations between undocumented and Medi-Cal patients
Lithium is a common medication prescribed to patients with psychiatric disorders, namely bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. It is used as a mood stabilizer and lessens the intensity of manic episodes, with particular benefit in reducing suicidality. While highly effective, the drug requires routine blood monitoring, which can be uncomfortable, expensive, and inconvenient for patients who must travel to clinical labs for frequent blood testing.
Community Health Center Honored for Services Assisting Minority Women
Florida Atlantic University and Northwest Community Health Alliance’s Community Health Center, operated by FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, together with the West Palm Beach YWCA, recently received the “2021 Community Collaborators Award” from Nonprofits First, Inc., for their untiring efforts to mitigate health care disparities among women from minority groups with limited access to quality care.
Project to improve health equity in Indianapolis expands with funding from Lilly
Indiana University has received a five-year, $5 million grant from Eli Lilly and Co. to expand the Diabetes Impact Project, which aims to improve health equity in three Indianapolis neighborhoods where residents are predominantly people of color.
UCI to welcome inaugural Doctor of Pharmacy class at White Coat Ceremony
Irvine, Calif., Sept. 14, 2021 – The inaugural class of Pharm.D. students at the University of California, Irvine will begin their journey Sept. 24 at a White Coat Ceremony, a rite of passage marking the transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences. The white coat is universally recognized as a symbol of the commitment students are making in joining a trusted health profession.
How do state laws affect hospital nurse staffing? Study compares three approaches
Across the nation, states are grappling with alternative approaches to address the heightened problem of low nurse staffing in hospitals. A new national study finds that while legislation to mandate hospital nurse-to-patient staffing ratios is associated with a significant increase in nurse staffing, two other popular approaches – mandating public reporting of nurse staffing levels and hospital staffing committees that include frontline nurses – have had little or no impact on nurse staffing levels. The study appears in a special supplement to the October issue of Medical Care focused on Health Workforce Equity. Medical Care is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Rush University, IIT Partner for Equitable Health Care Design
Together, IIT and Rush will design, test, and implement high-value care that communities want and will use. The graduate schools at ID and Rush University will offer courses, seminars, and events in the coming months for students, clinicians, and executives.
UC San Diego School of Medicine Receives $2.6M for Health Equity Programs
UC San Diego School of Medicine receives $2.6M to fund their PRIME-Health Equity program and launch a new program on Native American health. These medical education programs provide financial support to medical students interested in addressing health disparities and serving local communities.
Penn Medicine and Wharton Social Impact Initiative Launch $5 Million Investment Fund for Health Equity
“Fund for Health” announced first round of funding for companies that aim to strengthen social determinants of health
Surveillance study finds disparities, high proportion of past COVID-19 infections among adults and children in Santa Ana
In a large-scale, population-based surveillance conducted in partnership with the City of Santa Ana, researchers at the University of California, Irvine’s Program in Public Health found 27% positivity of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among participating Santa Ana residents. This unique study was one of the first to examine household transmission of COVID-19 and to include a pediatric population (ages 5+).
Racial Differences in Recovery Following Sports-Related Concussion Identified in Young Black and White Athletes
Researchers examined whether race (Black or White) influences outcomes and subjective experiences in young athletes who have sustained a sports-related concussion. Of primary interest were how long it takes for symptom resolution and return to school as well as changes in daily activities and sports behaviors.
Ana Patricia Gámez Se Une Al Cancer Research Institute en Su Compromiso Por La Igualdad Racial en El Cuidado De La Salud, Como Presentadora De La Primera Conferencia Virtual en Español Sobre Inmunoterapia Contra El Cáncer
El Cancer Research Institute (CRI), organización sin fines de lucro liderando investigación revolucionaria sobre el poder de nuestro sistema inmunológico para controlar y potencialmente curar todos los tipos de cáncer, ofrecerá su primera Conferencia Virtual CRI de Inmunoterapia para Pacientes con Cáncer 2021 totalmente en español, el 16 de septiembre de 2021, de 2 a 5 p.m. (hora del este).
Ana Patricia GáMez Joins Cancer Research Institute in the Movement for Racial Health Equity, Named Moderator of First Spanish-Language Virtual Cancer Immunotherapy Summit
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), a nonprofit organization spearheading transformative research to harness the immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all cancers, will offer its first-ever Virtual Cancer Immunotherapy Summit in Spanish on September 16, 2021, 2-5 p.m. ET.
Soft Launching of the School of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
The School of Global Health was established with the aim to serve as a platform to combine the management of the international programs in order to upgrade the graduate program and lifelong education while at the same time producing a new breed of graduates strengthen those with capabilities and potentials to meet the expectations of society for all professions related to the health and well-being system in Thailand as well as in foreign countries.
NYU Langone Health Named Coordinating Center for American Heart Association Health Equity Research Network to Prevent Hypertension in Black Communities
As part of a $20 million award from the America Heart Association, NYU Grossman School of Medicine has been named as the coordinating center for a new collaboration between eight universities to prevent hypertension and reduce racial inequities in cardiovascular disease outcomes in Black communities.
Connect Chicago Initiative Expands Community COVID-19 Testing
As COVID-19 cases rise in the U.S., Connect Chicago — new initiative between the Chicago Department of Public Health, Rush University Medical Center, and Esperanza Health Centers — is aiming to redouble testing efforts in Chicago communities that need it most.
Who Lives, Who Dies, and How and Why?
In a world dealing with the worst public health crisis in a century, the current U.S. system for tracking deaths suffers from organizational, political and procedural flaws that actually put public health and safety at risk, and requires significant updates and reform to solve the problems laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advanced practice nurse and philosopher Mark Lazenby named dean of UCI nursing school
Irvine, Calif., July 27, 2021 – Mark Lazenby, advanced practice nurse and philosopher, has been appointed dean of the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at the University of California, Irvine, following a nationwide search. He will assume his new role on Jan. 1, 2022. Lazenby is currently a professor of nursing and associate dean for faculty and student affairs in the School of Nursing at the University of Connecticut, where he’s also an affiliate professor of philosophy.
UCLA Research Finds that U.S. Sick Leave Policies Widen Racial Inequalities, Lag Nearly Every Other Country
The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s WORLD Policy Analysis Center (WORLD) released the first study to systematically analyze how common sick leave eligibility criteria in the U.S. affect access and to examine sick leave policies globally to understand whether these criteria are necessary. The research found marked racial and gender gaps in leave access in the U.S. due to restrictions targeting workers at small businesses, part-time workers, and workers at new jobs.
American Journal of Medical Quality supplement explores innovative solutions to health care quality and performance improvement
July 2, 2021 – For health care organizations looking to improve performance and patient experiences, implementing data-driven solutions can be effective when focusing on addressing health equity and reducing patient length of stay. These topics are explored in selected member-submitted abstracts…
Rush University College of Nursing Part of Major Downtown Chicago Development Project
Rush University College of Nursing is a partner in Assemble Chicago, a design and redevelopment proposal selected by the city of Chicago for the Downtown Loop Site in the C40 Reinventing Cities Competition, an initiative to spur carbon-neutral urban regeneration in cities worldwide.
New study to reveal health equity impacts of flavored tobacco bans
A new University of Kentucky College of Medicine study will examine how policies that restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes impact health disparities among vulnerable populations.
UCLA Health receives $4.8M NIH grant to improve genetic estimates of disease risk in diverse populations
UCLA Health will receive a $4.8 million grant from The National Institutes of Health to develop methods that will improve genetic risk estimates – polygenic risk scores – for specific diseases in people from diverse populations and mixed ancestries.
HEALTH EQUITY IS FOCUS OF NEW DATA SHARING INITIATIVE
Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) announced a new national program to advance health, equity and well-being through data sharing partnerships between communities and states. DASH, led by the Illinois Public Health Institute and Michigan Public Health Institute, developed the Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies.
June 4 Research Highlights from ACSM Annual Meeting
ACSM’s comprehensive sports medicine and exercise science conference takes place virtually from June 1 to 5 with programming covering the science, practice, public health and policy aspects of sports medicine, exercise science and physical activity. View program highlights.
Social Justice as Part of the Remedy for What Ails Us
The T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion has opened its newest center, focused on addressing issues of social justice in health care.
ACSM Annual Meeting Research Highlights for June 1
ACSM’s comprehensive sports medicine and exercise science conference kicks off June 1 with programming covering the science, practice, public health and policy aspects of sports medicine, exercise science and physical activity. View program highlights.
Cancer Research Institute Celebrates Ninth Annual Cancer Immunotherapy Month™
Cancer Research Institute celebrates progress in cancer immunotherapy research, announces new initiatives aimed at addressing racial and ethnic disparities in cancer treatment and academic research, during ninth annual Cancer Immunotherapy Month this June.
Survey measures health care delays during pandemic’s beginning
At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, a University of Illinois Chicago researcher conducted a survey asking respondents if they experienced health care delays because of the pandemic. In addition to learning about the types of delays, the study also presented a unique opportunity to capture a historic moment at the pandemic’s beginning.
UCLA Health Receives $750K Department of Commerce Grant to Fund COVID-19 Innovation That Prioritizes Health Equity
UCLA Health has received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to scale healthcare innovations for COVID-19 response and recovery and to support health equity through BioFutures, a new LA County workforce development program for diversity in the biosciences.
Rush Collaborates With Malcolm X College to Train COVID-19 Vaccine Ambassadors
Rush staff members collaborated with Malcom X College to provide content including video scenarios and conversation advice, for a new Vaccine Ambassador Course offered to the public.
Rush University System for Health and BMO Financial Group Announce $10 Million Donation to Create the Rush BMO Institute for Health Equity
Rush University System for Health and BMO Financial Group today announced a $10 million donation to create the new Rush BMO Institute for Health Equity.
Rush University Faculty Member Presents at Puerto Rican/Latinx Health Summit
During the Puerto Rican/Latinx Health Summit, Lisa Sanchez-Johnsen, PhD, who is a member of the health and wellness team for the Puerto Rican Agenda, presented a talk titled “Puerto Rican-Centered Obesity Research.”
UChicago Medicine’s community benefit investment totals $567.1 million in fiscal 2020
The UChicago Medicine health system provided $567.1 million in community benefits and services to the South Side, and UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial provided $89.5 million to Harvey and nearby areas.
Forum Tackles Vaccine Hesitancy in the Black Community
Leading healthcare and faith leaders addressed key issues that are contributing to vaccine hesitancy in Black communities during a national online discussion this week, explaining that a lack of access to healthcare, concerns over vaccine safety, and religious beliefs are keeping many from getting COVID-19 vaccines.
FSMB Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Medical Regulation and Health Care
The Federation of State Medical Boards’ Board of Directors released a statement affirming its commitment to supporting an equitable health care system

Implementation science should give higher priority to health equity
Moving scientific research results into public health and patient care more quickly could have a significant impact on health equity, finds a new paper from researchers at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

New Scholarship to Reduce Barrier for Most Promising Medical Students
$1.1 million gift from philanthropist Ann Bedell Hunt establishes Bedell Family Endowed Medical Scholarship at UC San Diego School of Medicine in memory of her father, Omar Jaspering, and in honor of Simerjot K. Jassal, MD.
FSMB Launches Task Force on Health Equity and Medical Regulation
The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) has launched the Task Force on Health Equity and Medical Regulation. The Task Force will evaluate education and training programs to assist state medical and osteopathic boards in identifying opportunities for understanding and addressing systemic racism, implicit bias, and health inequity in medical regulation and patient care.
Rutgers Cancer Health Justice Lab Creates COVID-19 Educational Video in Spanish
COVID-19 disproportionately impacts Latinx families more than any other racial and ethnic group, yet there are few available resources to mitigate these risks. The Rutgers School of Public Health’s Cancer Health Justice Lab has launched an educational COVID-19 video in Spanish to address the lack of resources available to Latinx families.
Leading Health and Cancer Advocacy Groups Unite to Reduce Racial Disparities in Cancer Care
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) presented new ideas for overcoming inequality in oncology. The recommendations address how medical systems often disproportionately fail minority patients.

Roswell Park Awarded Nearly $2 Million to Study Cause of Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer
A research team headed by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center epidemiologist Zhihong Gong, PhD, has been awarded a five-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for an investigation into the role that certain genetic molecules play in breast cancer disparities.
3rd Annual Penn Nursing Story Slam (VIRTUAL)
Nurse storytellers will share their true, personal, stories – virtually – about their nursing experiences and insights. The stories are grounded in the context of the event theme: stepping up.
How to talk to patients of color about the COVID-19 vaccine amid hesitancy and mistrust
A new Annals of Internal Medicine editorial co-authored by a University of Chicago Medicine health disparities researcher offers practical tips for clinicians to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with patients of color who may be hesitant to get vaccinated.