Blogs

Despite numerous health advances in recent years, there is still an urgent need for increased minority representation in medical research. The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) All of Us Research Program has made a commitment to diversity, especially to those who have been excluded from medical research for years.

Funded by The WITH Foundation, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities at University of Rochester partnered with University of Rochester Medical Center Interpreter Services, Ibero-American Action League, and Jeiri Flores and Jensen Caraballo, two Latinx self-advocates, to deliver a training to Spanish-speaking medical interpreters to improve the healthcare experience for Spanish-speaking people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

We call it the Angelina Jolie effect . Even in the Latina Spanish speaking community, they read or heard about the actress who was genetically tested for breast cancer and learned she was at high risk for the disease.

When it comes to healthcare, minority groups, including women and people of color, are often underserved. This is especially true of the global epidemic of heart failure (HF). There are startling disparities in the quality of care in HF and in outcomes of disease among racial and ethnic subgroups vs. the general population—and the problem is compounded by the reality that women and ethnic minorities have been grossly underrepresented in clinical trials.

The Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Brett P. Giroir sat down with Surgeon General RADM Jerome M. Adams to discuss sickle cell disease and HHS efforts to help patients and the quest to bring the disease to an end.

As the national discussion to promote emotional well-being and effectively treat mental illness accelerates, so does our understanding of the most effective ways to do so. At the same time, almost one in five Americans is experiencing a diagnosable mental illness according to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2016. And nearly one-quarter of these individuals has a serious mental illness that interferes with their everyday living.

June is Men’s Health Month. On average, men die five years younger than women, and die at higher rates from nine of the top 10 causes of death. Men are also less likely than women to be insured. All of this impacts their ability to be involved fathers, supportive partners, and engaged community members.

On Saturday, May 19th, 2018, the HIV community marks National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This observance highlights the impact of HIV and AIDS on the diverse members of this community. The 2018 campaign slogan is “Love & Solidarity: Together PrEP, Testing and Treatment can end HIV.” The Banyan Tree Project and the San Francisco Community Health Center (formerly API Wellness Center) lead this national health observance.

Medical research hasn’t always fully represented our nation’s rich diversity. As the video above shows, NIH’s All of Us Research Program is committed to doing things differently by enrolling individuals of many different races, ethnicities, and walks of life.

HHS’s Corinna Dan describes advances and opportunities to combat the hepatitis B and hepatitis C epidemics in the United States.

HHS’s Corinna Dan discusses how she frames the growing problem of viral hepatitis in the U.S. and why we are losing ground in the fight to combat it.

Every April we recognize National Minority Health Month and this year, we also celebrate Second Chance Month. President Donald J. Trump has designated April as Second Chance Month to emphasize “the need to prevent crime on our streets, to respect the rule of law by prosecuting individuals who break the law, and to provide opportunities for people with criminal records to earn an honest second chance.” The presidential proclamation underscores the importance of successful reentry to reduce repeat offenses, crime rates and prison populations, and a decrease of the taxpayers’ burden. Helping

Partnerships in the pursuit of healthier communities took center stage earlier this week as leaders of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the directors of the HHS offices of minority health and the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities marked the observance of National Minority Health Month event in Washington. The theme for the observance is Partnering for Health Equity, and I was honored to host the event, which featured remarks from Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan, Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett P. Giroir and Surgeon General Jerome

Each year, the National Public Health Week, organized by the American Public Health Association, is a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation's health. This week is an opportunity to raise awareness about public health and prevention.

I’m a relatively modest person. I don’t go in for cleavage, but I also don’t mind having a male doctor, and if you ask me a personal question, I’ll answer it. That’s why I was surprised recently for feeling embarrassed at telling my colleagues that I was taking the day off to get a colonoscopy.