The vision of the Center of Excellence for Health Disparities in Our Nation's Capital (CEHD) is to eliminate health disparities by transferring knowledge from research-to-practice-to-policy. The CEHD will be part of a broader presidential initiative at GU that intends to coordinate efforts within the university, bringing together disciplines from across all the campuses, as well as to expand and strengthen collaborations with other academic, government, nonprofit, faith-based, and community partners to have maximum impact on the problem. The proposed CEHD will conduct critical health disparities research in breast cancer and stroke, prepare future professionals to deliver state-of-the-art services and programs, and train future leaders in the field. A key focus will be our nation's capital, the District of Columbia. A primary goal of the CEHD is to build bridges between the scientific and the lay community in an effort to seriously eliminate and/or reduce health disparities that impact the minority population, particularly African-Americans residing in the District of Columbia. The African American population is the largest minority population within the District of Columbia and is a population disproportionately affected by chronic diseases such as stroke and cancer. The specific objectives of the project fall into three categories: 1) Research - to be explored via research projects exploring methods to decrease disparities in two specific chronic conditions impacting the health of African Americans in Washington, DC: breast cancer and stroke;2) Research Training/Education - to promote careers in minority health and health disparities research through educational and training programs that meet the needs of investigators and students at all levels of experience, with particular emphasis on recruiting students and faculty from minority health populations;3) Community Engagement - to foster collaborations with community organizations in conducting disease prevention and/or intervention activities and research. The important cross-cutting objectives of Cultural Competence intersect with each of these areas.
Health disparities are particularly prevalent in our nation's capital, especially in low-income neighborhoods. The District of Columbia ranks highest in the country for breast and cervical cancer mortality and stroke is the 4th leading cause of death. The Center of Excellence for Health Disparities in Our Nation's Capital (CEHD) will conduct critical health disparities research, prepare future professionals to deliver state-of-the-art services and programs, and train future leaders in the field.
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