More than two decades ago, DHHS released the Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health, documenting many health disparities and catalyzing federal agencies and others into action. Tragically, disparities still pervade the American landscape. The days of doing research for research sake are over. In order to identify and ameliorate the health disparities of Alabama Black Belt residents, it is our responsibility as clinicians and researchers to move our science from theory to practice and from the laboratory bench to the community. Our goal is to re-engineer clinical research for the sake of primary care so we can speed new treatments to our rural citizens and improve their quality of life. It is also imperative that we not only include the community as participants in our research but as partners in our endeavors to eliminate health disparities in these communities. The ultimate goal of this proposed effort is to develop plans for the content, administration, governance, and evaluation of an institutional Clinical and Translational ? Science Award focusing on primary care and health disparities. This effort will build upon the infrastructure already created by the Alabama Institute for Rural Health Research and its associated Center of Excellence, which is supported by Project EXPORT, an ongoing research project funded by the NCMHD. In an effort to achieve this goal, the following specific aims will be undertaken: Conduct a needs assessment of the current state of resources, skills, knowledge, and abilities with regard to the establishment and implementation of an Institutional Clinical and Translational Science program; 2: Initiate a strategic planning process, that includes community representatives, primary health care providers, researchers, and academic administrators that takes into account the ever-changing external and internal issues that impact and shape the establishment, implementation, and continued development of an Institutional Clinical Translational Science program; 3: Develop, design, and submit an application for an Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award. Accomplishment of these aims will allow for the development of such an Award and with this structure in place, we can begin the process of re-engineering clinical and translational research with the goal of improving primary care and eliminating health disparities experienced by ethnic and racial minorities living in Alabama's rural Black Belt region, the southeast, and beyond. ? ? ?
