Monthly Archive for February 2010
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February 26, 2010
links for 2010-02-26
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Ethnic and racial minorities bear a disproportionate share of America’s diabetes epidemic but are significantly less likely than whites to receive a commonly used test to monitor control of blood glucose....[B]lack and Hispanic patients diagnosed with diabetes are 2 to 3 times less likely than white patients to receive the A1C test during physician office visits. [Washington State University] researchers note that diabetes has become a global epidemic projected to affect 48 million Americans by 2050. Hispanics and blacks are more than twice as likely to develop diabetes and suffer the consequences of insufficient monitoring, say the WSU researchers. 'Earlier this year, the American Diabetes Association announced guidelines encouraging use of the A1C test in both the monitoring and diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.' (Link courtesy of Michael Massing)
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The County Health Rankings—the first set of reports to rank the overall health of every county in all 50 states—were released today by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at a briefing in Washington, D.C. and on www.countyhealthrankings.org. The 50 state reports help public health and community leaders, policy-makers, consumers and others to see how healthy their county is, compare it with others within their state and find ways to improve the health of their community.
Posted by: Staff on February 26, 2010
Category: Lunch Break Reading
February 23, 2010
Two Positions Posted at The Center for Reducing Health Disparities
Two positions have recently been posted to the Center for Reducing Health Disparities website (www.ReduceDisparity.org). The descriptions are below. To apply, please visit the website for details.
Tenure Track Faculty Position
The Center for Reducing Health Disparities at Case Western Reserve University is seeking an MD or PhD with training in health services research, epidemiology, or community-based participatory research. The successful candidate will collaborate with other faculty, community organizations, and government agencies to develop and test interventions to reduce health disparities. MD's will also have a clinical appointment at MetroHealth Medical Center, a primary teaching hospital of Case Western Reserve University. Both MD's and PhD's will have opportunities for teaching. Case Western Reserve University, ranked among the top 15 nationally in NIH funding, has renowned faculty in health services research, epidemiology, biostatistics, health economics, biomedical ethics, medical anthropology, and sociology. Recruited faculty will be expected to establish an externally funded research program. Excellent salary and start-up packages are available with academic rank commensurate with experience. Applications from women and individuals with diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds are encouraged. Case Western Reserve University and MetroHealth Medical Center are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers.
Community Health Fellow
The Case Center for Reducing Health Disparities at MetroHealth, in partnership with the Saint Luke’s Foundation of Cleveland, seeks a full time Community Health Fellow. The Community Health Fellow will work in the Buckeye/Woodland Hills/Larchmere community to facilitate collaborative, neighborhood-specific planning and action around healthy community lifestyles to improve indicators of health and well-being in the community. Working with an advisory team, the Community Health Fellow will develop infrastructure to design new or enhanced strategies to engage and empower the community to identify, plan and implement actions around healthy lifestyles, leveraging existing programs in the community. This unique position will receive joint supervision and mentoring by Center for Reducing Health Disparities faculty and Saint Luke’s Foundation staff. The position is funded by a three-year grant.
Again, to apply for either position, please see the JOB tab at the Center for Reducing Health Disparities website.
Posted by: Staff on February 23, 2010
Category: faculty; jobs
February 11, 2010
links for 2010-02-11
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The incidence of advanced breast cancer diagnosis among black women remained 30 percent to 90 percent higher compared to white women between 1992 and 2004, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In addition, the disparity in the incidence of advance colorectal cancer actually widened over this time period as rates fell among whites but increased slightly among blacks.
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When it comes to meeting national health goals for physical activity, Mexican-Americans are the most active group in America and may benefit from exercise that researchers typically have not measured, according to research by scholars at the University of Chicago and Arizona State University.
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The results of an innovative study to understand what factors may influence who contracts tuberculosis (TB)/HIV co-infection in San Diego show a significant shift in the ethnic makeup of the disease, with the majority of cases now coming from the Hispanic community.
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The MAC AIDS Fund (MAF) launched its latest VIVA GLAM campaign, a women's initiative aimed at strengthening the service network and resources available to women living with and at risk of contracting HIV.
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A rare study that tracked thousands of children through adulthood found the heaviest youngsters were more than twice as likely as the thinnest to die prematurely, before age 55, of illness or a self-inflicted injury. Youngsters with a condition called pre-diabetes were at almost double the risk of dying before 55, and those with high blood pressure were at some increased risk. But obesity was the factor most closely associated with an early death, researchers said.
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The oversight of the mental health treatment of the young people in [NY] state facilities falls to several dozen psychologists who visit them for consultations, and staff members at the jails who run group therapy sessions despite often having no qualifications beyond a high school degree.
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Although the Department of Veteran Affairs is rolling out treatments nationwide as fast as possible to adequately provide for newly diagnosed PTSD patients, there are still significant barriers to veterans getting a full course of PTSD treatment. The study is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Traumatic Stress.
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Australian indigenous children under five are still twice as likely to die as non-indigenous children, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said. In his annual report on the state of indigenous Australians, Mr Rudd said there were signs of slow progress.
Posted by: Staff on February 11, 2010
Category: Lunch Break Reading
February 04, 2010
links for 2010-02-04
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The legislation aims to remove financial barriers to treatment for people with mental health problems. About 140 million Americans in more than 450,000 employer plans will benefit from improved coverage.
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A New Jersey study found that African-Americans with cancer are less likely to survive it than whites, and residents of poor neighborhoods less likely to survive than are those in wealthier areas of the state. The racial disadvantage diminishes when socioeconomic status is a consideration, but does not disappear, according to the study in the February issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.
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Melanoma is more than 10 times higher in whites compared to blacks, but over a five-year span, blacks have a 78 percent lower survival rate compared to 92 percent of whites, according to study background material.
Posted by: Staff on February 04, 2010
Category: Lunch Break Reading
February 03, 2010
links for 2010-02-03
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The recession is forcing states such as Washington to pare back health insurance programs for low-income people, even as growing joblessness boosts demand for help. Five of six states that use state funds to assist adults not covered by Medicaid are considering cuts, barring new enrollment or raising fees.
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The February teleconference sponsored by Living Beyond Breast Cancer will focus on the impact culture, wealth and the healthcare system have on the quality of life and survival of women affected by breast cancer. Keynote speaker for this event is Kimlin Ashing-Giwa, PhD. To register, visit their website at http://www.lbbc.org/index.asp and look at the calendar of events.
Posted by: Staff on February 03, 2010
Category: Lunch Break Reading