Individuals Recognized For Health Awareness Efforts In The Black Community; Trust Fund Offers Grant To Reduce Health Disp. Between Blacks, Whites

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 01 Sep 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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The following summarizes efforts and a grant that seek reduce racial health care disparities.

• Albany, N.Y.: The Albany Times Union on Aug. 23 profiled the Rev. Oscar McLaughlin, a local pastor and a chaplain at Hudson Correctional Facility and a local organizer for the national HIV/AIDS advocacy group The Balm in Gilead. McLaughlin, motivated by the high HIV/AIDS rates in the black community, organized a committee at his church that seeks to educate its members on HIV/AIDS and held its first health fair this summer, where 14 people were tested (Albany Times Union, 8/23).
  
  
• North Carolina: The North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund over the next three years will award $7.5 million in grants to agencies and initiatives that seek to reduce health disparities between black and white residents, the Winston-Salem Chronicle reports. The trust fund last week began to accept applications from eligible organizations that have documented experience and success in developing and implementing services to reduce health disparities. Funds also are available for programs that aim to increase cultural competency among local health care providers and improve quality of services provided to minorities. Proposals and other application materials are available on the group's Web site and all applications must be received by Oct. 1 (Winston-Salem Chronicle, 8/27).
  
  
• Pittsburgh: Five women in the U.S. each have received a $5,000 Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts grant from the Congressional Black Caucus and Cheerios for raising heart disease awareness among blacks, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/28). The initiative recognizes individuals for their awareness efforts in the black community. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S., and black women are disproportionately affected by the disease (Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts Web site).

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