Announcements
"For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S," The Associated Press writes.
As USA Today adds, that news from the Census Bureau is "a sign of how swiftly the USA is becoming a nation of younger minorities and older whites."
Census estimates, USA Today says, that:
"Hispanics, blacks, Asians and other minorities in 2011 accounted for 50.4% of births, 49.7% of all children under 5 and slightly more than half of the 4 million kids under 1."
Read entire article.
Healthy Eating Research Releases 2012 Call for Proposals
Healthy Eating Research is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The program supports research on environmental and policy strategies with strong potential to promote healthy eating among children to prevent childhood obesity, especially among lower-income and racial and ethnic populations at highest risk for obesity. Findings are expected to advance RWJF's efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.
This call for proposals (CFP) is for two types of awards aimed at providing key decision- and policy-makers with evidence to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015. The award types are: Round 7 grants and RWJF New Connections grants awarded through the Healthy Eating Research program.
Round 7 Grants
- The Round 7 grants represent the majority of RWJF's investment in research through this program.
- Approximately $1.7 million will be awarded through Round 7. Each grant will award up to $170,000 for a maximum funding period of 18 months.
- Concept papers may be submitted at any time until August 9, 2012 (3 p.m. ET).
RWJF New Connections Grants Awarded Through Healthy Eating Research
- These grants are to support the research of new investigators representing populations and communities historically underrepresented in childhood obesity prevention research, including researchers from underrepresented ethnic or racial minority groups and lower-income communities and those who are first-generation college graduates.
- Up to two RWJF New Connections grants will be awarded through the Healthy Eating Research program in this round of funding. Awards will be for 12- to 18-month grants of up to $100,000 each.
- Deadline for receipt of concept papers: May 22, 2012 (3 p.m. ET)
More details and how to apply
Dr. William Ntim has been awarded Excellence in Heath Care Awards for Innovation in Health Care by the Charlotte Business Journal. This awards program honors the region's top health-care industry leaders, innovators and companies.
As part of this achievement, Dr. Ntim will be featured in a Special Report in the September 30, 2011 issue of the Charlotte Business Journal. The publication will include profiles on the honorees, as well as relevant content on health care business issues. Read Business Journal article here.
Dr. Ntim is an affiliate of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity.
Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity helps support Orita D. McCorkle travel to Vienna as part of her educational enhancement and global community outreach.
“My summer trip abroad was an amazing learning experience and I can already see how the tools which I gained during my summer courses can be applied during the time that I spend at the Center this summer”.
Orita D. McCorkle
M.Divinity/M.A. Counseling
Class of 2012
Congratulations to Michael Kennedy for receiving his Master degree in Business Administrative (MBA) from Winston Salem State University. Michael is the Financial Analyst for the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity and lives in Kernersville, NC with his wife Kim and two sons Brandon (age 5) and Ethan (age 2).
High School Students Visit Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
On Tuesday, July 19th, high school students from western North Carolina, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reservation, visited the Maya Angelou Center to learn more about health careers. The students were part of the MedCat program, designed to encourage high school youth from disadvantaged communities to pursue professions in the health fields. A total of 20 students participated in this annual event. The Maya Angelou Center will be taking the lead on MedCat beginning in August 2011 with funds from the Burroughs Wellcome Foundation.
National Prevention Strategy Press Released
This is an extremely important effort for public health and health care systems, with the overarching goal of the NPS being to move the national perspective away from a disease-oriented focus to a focus on overall health.
Click here to read the press release and click here to review the fact sheet.
HRSA would like to make you aware of the following information…
New website helps Spanish-speaking patients communicate more effectively with their medical providers
Conozca las preguntas (Know the questions), a new Spanish-language website of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) located at www.ahrq.gov/preguntas, offers Spanish-speaking patients tips to improve their communication with their medical providers.
AHRQ data show that the proportion of Hispanics reporting poor communication with their providers is widening.
The website also features downloadable public service announcements (PSAs) from AHRQ’s nationwide campaign with the Ad Council.
A special website for mobile phone users is also available at http://4in.fo/Y9SAwg, and those interested in receiving biweekly tips on talking with their doctors can get them by texting 80676/Preguntas.
For a free, continuous-loop DVD of the public service ads, Abre la boca (Open your mouth), for waiting room showing, as well as free supplies of Conoce usted cuales son las preguntas correctas que debe hacer? (Do You Know the Right Questions to Ask?), a bilingual card with 10 key questions patients may want to ask their medical providers, contact bob.isquith@ahrq.hhs.gov.
Ms. Y. Montez Lane, MPH, program manager for Community Outreach at the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, obtained her Master’s in Public Health in Leadership from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health located in Chapel Hill, NC, in May 2011. She focused her graduate school efforts on leadership, program evaluation and systems change because she believes these competencies are the cornerstones for ensuing public health initiatives are sustainable and successful. She’s currently managing a comprehensive evaluation effort of a local organization that addr1esses institutional racism, the Institute for Dismantling Racism, to assess the effectiveness and impact of its training and support services. She is also the Program Manager for the North Carolina Coalition Initiative (NCCI), in which she coordinates training and technical assistance for the capacity-building efforts of coalitions working to prevent substance abuse within their communities.
The US Food and Drug Administration's Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Office of Special Medical Programs, Advisory Committee Oversight and Management are collaborating on an initiative entitled Enhancing Diversity on FDA Advisory Committees. The initiative's goal is to broaden the search for qualilfied advisory committee candidates with experience withunderserved communities. (read entire announcement)
Dr. Ronny Bell discusses National Health Disparities Month on WXII 12 news
Watch Video
“The Latino Lay Health Advisors Program is a true blessing from God and will be a real ‘life changer’ for many Hispanics.”
Sometimes the best medical care does not begin with a visit to a physician or a trip to the hospital. Health care begins with knowledge, with understanding the relationship between lifestyle, habits and health. Sometimes, to quote an old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care."
This perspective undergirds the Latino Lay Health Advisors Program, a joint venture between Wake Forest Baptist Health's Department of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Education and Wake Forest School of Medicine's Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity. The Health Dispairities Initiative of the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund provides the necessary financial resources for the project. (read article).
Pilgrimage for Justice & Peace Event Held
This event was jointly hosted by Dellabrook Presbyterian Church and the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity along with farmworkers, their supporters and Pilgrimage walkers. The event began with a 2-mile Pilgrimage through Winston Salem, a prayer vigil and press conference at Reynolds in support of human rights for farm workers, ending with foot washing and dinner.
The event featured author Robert Korstad (Civil Rights Unionsim), farmworker leaders of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee and public sector workers along with musicians Bill Mcllwain and Ron Hunter. (see photos below from event).
Summer Training for Junior Faculty - All Expenses Paid! - NHLBI PRIDE Summer Institute Program
Announcing an upcoming research education program that may be of interest to junior faculty affiliated with cohort studies or other relevant activities. The Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) (see attached brochure and flyer) is actively recruiting junior faculty from diverse backgrounds who would like to pursue further research and grantsmanship skill development. As you will notice, there is a specific program focused on epidemiology (CVD genetic epi) which needs targeted outreach to fill this year’s Summer Institute slots.(see attached application).
Carlos Jose Rodriguez, MD, MPH, FACC Becomes Affiliate of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity.
Dr. Rodriguez was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Washington Heights, Manhattan. He graduated on the Dean’s List at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and subsequently obtained his M.D. and M.P.H. degrees concurrently from Columbia University. He completed a three-year internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center and then completed a four-year fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases and Advanced Echocardiography at Columbia University.
Dr. Rodriguez has joined Wake Forest University as Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in 2011, where he is currently the principal investigator of ECHO-SOL, a national multi-center study of cardiac structure and function in Latinos across the United States. His research grant application was awarded a perfect score from the National Institutes of Health, a very rare accomplishment.
Dr. Rodriguez is active in various organizations, including membership in the American Heart Association, the American Society of Echocardiography, and as a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In addition to all of the above, Dr. Rodriguez remains a board certified cardiologist, sees patients and performs cardiovascular procedures at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina where he lives with his wife and two children.
Kim Hutchinson, EdD, APRN-C, LCAS, CARN has been appointed as a representative of the North Carolina Nurses Association.
The NCNA is the professional organization for all Registered Nurses in the State. It is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association (ANA), which is the national organization for all Registered Nurses.
Dr. Hutchinson, an affiliate of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, is an Advanced Practice Registered Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing and certified in this area as well as in Addictions Nursing. At Wake Forest Baptist Health, she works with the team of multidisciplinary professionals in the care and treatment of children, adolescents and adults with mental health problems and helped bring the tobacco-free initiative to, initially inpatient psychiatric units (May 2005), then to the broader inpatient clinical arena.
Dr. Hutchinson will serve a 4-year term to the Nursing Advisory Committee for Drug Monitoring Programs for the North Carolina Board of Nursing.
TNASWEB News CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report
Triangle Native American Society is a 501c(3) organization and is supported completely by contributions.
Leandris Liburd, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A. Appointed Director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE), effective January 21, 2011.
Dr. Leandris is a respected leader with many years of experience addressing community health, health dispariaites, and social determinants of health. She held a variety of leadership positions at CDC since joining the agency in 1998.
Dr. Maya Angelou Named as Medal of Freedom Recipient - Writer Maya Angelou was among 15 announced recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor. It singles out those who have made contributions to the security or national interests of the U.S., to world peace or other significant endeavors.
Reverend Francis Rivers Meza Becomes Center Affiliate
The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity is proud to announce that Reverend Francis Rivers Meza is now an affiliate of the Center.
Reverend Rivers Meza is in the Department of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Education and is Co-Investigator of the Lay Health Advisor's grant designed to empower key leaders in Latino religious communities to become health educators. (read more about the project).
NIH Announces Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
The National Institutes of Health announces the transition of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) to the National Institute on Minority Heath and Health Disparities (NIMHD). The transition gives the institute a more defined role in the NIH's research agenda against health disparities, which it defines as differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups (read announcement)
Funds Available for Minority Faculty in Department of Medicine for Academic Training Program
The Department of Medicine Minority Recruitment Task Force (MRTF) and the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity are pleased to announce the availability of funds for minority faculty in the WFSM Department of Medicine to attend the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Minority Faculty Development Seminar. Read objectives of the annual seminar.
Pathfinder Awards to Promote Diversity in the Scientific Workforce
The NIH database now contains information on the six awards under the RFA: The NIH Director's ARRA Funded Pathfinder Award to Promote Diversity in the Scientific Workforce. Read available information on the six awards.
IN THE NEWS
The Student National Medical Association Chapter of Wake Forest School of Medicine was presented with an award by the Old North State Medical Soceity as future leaders in healthcare on November 12-13, 2010. The event was held at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina.
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama named fifteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards will be presented at a White House ceremony early next year.
President Obama said, “These outstanding honorees come from a broad range of backgrounds and they’ve excelled in a broad range of fields, but all of them have lived extraordinary lives that have inspired us, enriched our culture, and made our country and our world a better place. I look forward to awarding them this honor.” (click here to see list of recipients).
Latino Medical Student Association Approved at Wake Forest School of Medicine
Dr. Jorge Calles Jennifer Gastelum Pedro Cardama
A Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) chapter initiated by Jennifer Gastelum (MS 2013) and Pedro Cardama (MS 2014) has been approved at Wake Forest School of Medicine. LMSA has several goals which include expanding exposure to all medical students regarding Latino health issues, providing a voice for underrepresented students in medicine, establishing a course in medical Spanish, and providing mentorship and networking with Latino health professionals. Dr. Jorge Calles will serve as the faculty advisor for LMSA.
New North Carolina American Indian Health Board Receives Grant
The North Carolina American Indian Health Board has received a $15,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation. The grant will ultimately be used to improve the health outcomes of American Indians in the state. (read entire article)
Dr. Jorge Calles Appointed to Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs
Jorge Calles, M.D., associate professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been appointed by N.C. Governor Beverly Perdue to the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.
Calles has been involved in community outreach activities for the Hispanic and Latino communities in Forsyth County for the past seven years. This includes establishing a weekly medical education radio program on Que Pasa Radio and writing a companion paper that is published weekly for the Que Pasa newspaper.
As the director of student and faculty development for the Maya Angelou Center on Health Equity, Calles has established a grant program to train lay health advisors to serve Hispanic communities in Forsyth County. He has also had the opportunity to travel to multiple Latin American countries for continued medical education. Calles received his medical degree from the The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1976.
"The opportunity to offer my perspective on Hispanic issues is a serious and sobering responsibility that I do not take lightly," said Calles. "I have already done some informal surveying of key Hispanic community members to gauge the needs of the community at state level and have found that there is great hope and expectation."
The Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs advises the governor on issues relating to the state's Hispanic/Latino community; supports state efforts toward improving race and ethnic relations; provides a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the state's Hispanic/Latino community; promotes cooperation and understanding between the Hispanic/Latino community, the general public and state, federal and local governments; and performs other duties as directed by the governor.
Denise James-Gatling appointed as Executive Vice Chair of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity
Denise James-Gatling to serve as the Executive Vice Chair of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity's National Advisory Board. She will serve as liaison between our executive leadership and our board members, and will be responsible for overseeing the projects and activities of the board and will seek ongoing support to further the Center's mission.
Read Denise James-Gatling bio.
SAMHSA and the Ad Council Launch National Campaign To Raise Awareness About Mental Health Problems in Multicultural Communities
SAMHSA, in collaboration with the Ad Council, announced today the launch of a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign to promote recovery from mental health problems within multicultural communities by educating and inspiring young adults to talk openly about issues of mental health. The culturally targeted PSAs seek to motivate societal change toward social acceptance and decrease negative attitudes that may surround mental illness. These PSAs are part of a larger multicultural public service effort designed to reach Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Chinese American, and African American communities during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.
Mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, are widespread in the United States. According to SAMHSA, from 2004 to 2007, an average of 15.6 percent of Hispanic/Latino 18- to 25-year-olds reported serious psychological distress in the past year. Despite the high prevalence among this group, only slightly more than one in four (28.3 percent) of Hispanic/Latino young adults with serious psychological distress received care within the past 12 months. In that same period, an average of 20.7 percent of American Indian 18- to 25-year-olds reported serious psychological distress in the past year, and an average of 16.2 percent of Chinese American 18- to 25-year-olds reported serious psychological distress.
"Raising awareness that effective treatments for mental illnesses are available and that people recover, can encourage those in need to seek help," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "Our goal with this campaign is to open the dialogue about supporting friends or family members with mental health problems in a culturally relevant way."
MACHE Director Visits Ghana
Dr. Ronny Bell, Director of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, visited the country of Ghana from April 28-May 4, 2010. The trip was coordinated by Dr. Medge Owen, Professor of Obstetric Anesthesiology at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and Dr. Yemi Olufalabi, Associate Clinical Professor of Women's Anesthesiology at Duke University as part of a collaboration with the Kybele organization (http://www.kybeleworldwide.org/). In addition to the work of the Kybele team focusing on improving pregnancy outcomes at Ridge Hospital in the capital city of Accra, the trip was a first step for the MACHE to develop international research opportunities. Drs. Bell, Owen and Olufalabi also visited Komfo Anokye, a teaching hospital ini Kumasi in central Ghana. A major accomplishment of the trip was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Kybele, the MACHE, and the Ghana Health Services. This is a very exciting opportunity for the MACHE. "The people that we met were very eager to develop this partnership," said Bell. 
Ghana Photos - 2010
Quietly Changing the World - An article by Bob Brown - Executive Co-Chair of our National Advisory Board
In a month dedicated to black history, sometimes the most riveting stories come from people with names less familiar than Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr. and many of them are connected to the Triad.
The year 1968 found campaign volunteer and public relations consultant Bob Brown criss-crossing the country with Richard Nixon — trouble-shooting, keeping up with the press and supplying names from local businesses and black communities to personalize the presidential candidate’s interactions. Read entire article.
Congratulations to Dr. Alain Bertoni
Dr. Alain Bertoni has been named a Fellow by the American College of Physicians. This honor is awarded to physicians who have made major contributions to the field of internal medicine in research, teaching, and clinical services. Dr. Bertoni is Associate Professor, Epidemiology & Prevention and is the Director of Research for the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity.
Events - Photo Gallery
On February 16, 2011 the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity sponsored a Health Disparities/Health Equity Research Summit at Winston Salem State University. Posters were presented by faculty and staff.
"Barriers to DASH adoptioni among African Americans in Forsyth County, NC: the Translating Dietary into othe Community study"
Alain Bertoni, M.D.
Associate Professor, Epidemiology & Prevention
Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity
Translational Science Institute
Center for Diabetes Research
"Minimized and Marginalized: A Qualitative Exploration of Black Males Need Endorsement for Integrated Health Equity Promotion"
Authors: Dr. David L. Mount - Director of Community Outreach for the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity)
Darin M. Johnson - (Data Coordinator II - Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity)
Maria Isabel Rego - (Data Coordinator II - Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity)
Alethea Amponsah - (Data Coordinator II - Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity)
"Unveiling Social Justice Advocate's Health Risk Factors and Perceptions of How Social Justice Work Impacts Their Health: An Exploratory Research"
Authors: Dr. David L. Mount - Director of Community Outreach for the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity)
Darin M. Johnson - (Data Coordinator II - Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity)
Maria Isabel Rego - (Data Coordinator II - Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity)
Alethea Amponsah - (Data Coordinator II - Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity)
Sharice Javies - (Student Volunteer from Winston Salem State University)
Lisa Smith - (Wake Forest School of Medicine Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program)
Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity Participates in the First "Reality Check" Event at Goodwill Industries
Approximately 40-50 young adults between the ages of 16-21 attended the event, learning a variety of life skills including finance, budgeting, human resources, interviewing, and health and wellness. Montez Lane, Community Outreach Project Manager for the Center, manned a display that included information and pamphlets on various areas within the FC Health Department on STD testing, nutrient and health, diabetes/ etc.
September 4, 2009 - Student National Medical Association (SNMA) March for Health Equity
November 2009 - Cocktails and Conversations with Dr. Angelou
Saks 5th Avenue – New York, New York – November 2009
Leadership Luncheon with Dr. Maya Angelou Coctails & Conversations
Washington, DC 7-26-10 Saks 5th Ave, NY 1-4-09
The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity Staff Donates Time to Second Harvest Food Bank
Dr. Ronny Bell, Dr. Alain Bertoni, Sarah Langdon and Winona Gilbert recently helped out at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Winston Salem, NC by boxing food for the needy. The Center plans to donate time on a monthly basis to lend a hand.
With support from many generous food and financial donors and the helping hands of some 2,000 volunteers, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina plays a critical role in hunger-relief efforts for the region, helping to provide access to food to those who cannot afford it so that they can survive and even thrive. Through their primary food distribution program, they solicit, transport, inspect , sort, warehouse and distribute donated food to nearly 400 non-profit partner agencies that serve people at risk of hunger and others in need . They are a proud member of Feeding America (formerly named America's Second Harvest), a collaborative and coordinated network of more than 200 food banks united nationally and operating locally, serving every community in the nation to get food to those who need it. Collectively, we distribute more than 2 billion pounds of food each year to 50,000 non-profit organizations serving those in need across the nation.