This proposal will support a novel partnership between a community-based organization (Arthur Ashe Institute of Urban Health), a government agency (Office of the Brooklyn Borough President) and an academic research institution (Downstate Medical Center) to together increase capacity and expand community engagement to address health disparities in Brooklyn, New York, The overall goal of the Center is to promote minority health and reduce health disparities by strengthening community-academic partnerships that produce enduring health policy changes and institutionalizes community outreach and participation. The expected improvement in health disparities will result from engagement of minority communities in direct participation on academic research, training and health policy. The discipline to be used will be one centered on principles of community-academic partnership with a novel approach to health policy development.
Specific Aims are: 1) To develop a novel partnership composed of a triad of community-academic-policy institutions focused on addressing health in minority populations, 2) To increase capacity in local minority or disadvantaged youth and community leaders to engage in health disparities solutions, consider health care careers and to serve as health information resources for their community and policy makers. Supporting the necessary infrastructure to address health disparities in Brooklyn is worthwhile for advancing the national agenda of improving health and economic development for at least four reasons: 1) Health disparities are rampant in Brooklyn communities and many of these conditions can be ameliorated through community-based interventions and policy changes. 2) Brooklyn is large. More than 2.3 million people live in the area, equivalent to the population of the 4th largest city in the United States. 3) Brooklyn is culturally, racially and ethnically diverse with minority and new immigrant populations. 4) Brooklyn is socioeconomically varied with 1 in 5 residents living in poverty, Brooklyn is massive, diverse and one of the most interesting communities in which to address health disparities in an urban setting. The Center will significantly increase the level of community engagement, building trust and delineating achievable solutions to health and prosperity.
The Brooklyn Health Disparities Center proposes a unique partnership between an independent community- based organization, a medical center and a policy maker to address health disparities by increasing knowledge in the community and engaging residents to participate in the research and policy-making activities of the Center to address health disparities.
