Efforts, Events Seek To Address Health Disparities Among Minorities
The following highlights efforts that seek to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
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American Society of Clinical Oncology: ASCO on Wednesday released a policy statement that makes recommendations for eliminating cancer disparities. The statement, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, recommends increasing research, boosting enrollment of minorities in cancer clinical trials, encouraging greater diversity in the oncology workforce, educating the oncology workforce about cultural issues and disparities and ensuring equal access to quality health care. ASCO also announced the 2009 recipients of its Diversity in Oncology Initiative awards, a program in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure that aims to reduce health care disparities by boosting the number of minority oncologists (ASCO release, 4/29).
- Detroit: Gospel music artist Yolanda Adams, through a partnership with AARP and Radio One, recently stopped in Detroit for a Health & Wellness tour, which aims to encourage healthy living in the black community, the Detroit News reports. The event included no-cost health screenings and seminars. Adams also targets the black religious community with health messages through her nationally syndicated radio show (Hayes Taylor, Detroit News, 4/24).
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National Minority Quality Forum: NMQF has announced that it is launching a database that tracks cardiovascular disease nationwide, called CVD Atlas. CVD Atlas, which is a component of an existing database by NMQF, enables users to map the prevalence of CVD by state, legislative district, age, gender, race and ethnicity. The American College of Cardiology and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation both support the system (NMQF release, 4/27).