Not only are most racial and ethnic groups less healthy, but they also tend to have shorter life expectancies, higher rates of infant mortality and chronic diseases, worse outcomes once diagnosed with illnesses, and less access to health care than their white counterparts. Health disparities persist even when socio-economic status and insurance coverage are taken into account, due to a complex combination of factors.
"This initiative is core to our commitment to be engaged in eliminating health disparities in our region and help the Kellogg Foundation build a model for the nation," said Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health.
The Foundation-sponsored Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) will intensively collaborate for one year with teams from each of the 12 institutions to develop and implement strategies focused on eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities. The USF team includes leaders from the College of Public Health; the Chiles Center; the Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI); the School of Aging Studies (SAS); as well as community members from the Hillsborough County Health Department; the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program; and the Healthy Start Coalition.
"Our inclusion is acknowledgment that we are already doing good things in the area and being part of the initiative will help us do it better," said Hana Osman, PhD, assistant professor of public health and project leader. "This consultation will place us in a
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Contact: Anne DeLotto Baier
abaier@hsc.usf.edu
813-974-3300
University of South Florida Health
17-Feb-2006