Important Federal Initiatives for Minorities

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The burden of many health problems is especially heavy for minority women. The Department of Health and Human Services has an array of agencies and initiatives that address health disparities in minority populations and work towards reducing this disease burden. Below is a list of these resources. While all resources direct you to information about minority health, you will find a variety of topics, from domestic violence to cardiovascular disease.

• Healing Shattered Lives: Assessment of Selected Domestic Violence Programs in Primary Health Care Settings - Healing Shattered Lives is designed to encourage primary health care providers to treat domestic violence among their client base and to engage providers, administrators, policymakers and others in a coordinated, community-wide response to domestic violence.

• Bureau of Primary Healthcare: Minority Health Activities - This on-line publication gives information on the following BPHC Minority Health Initiatives: Linguistic Services Report; Gender, Race & Ethnicity Study; Youth 4 100% Access and 0 Disparities Summit; Radio Outreach; and National Minority Health Month.

• National Community Centers of Excellence in Women's Health - This on-line publication gives information on the National Community Centers of Excellence (CCOEs) supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health.

• CDC's WISEWOMAN™ - Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation - The WISEWOMAN Program consists of 12 CDC-funded WISEWOMAN demonstration projects in states, territories, and tribes. Through these 12 projects, WISEWOMAN provides screening and lifestyle intervention for many low-income and uninsured women.

• HHS Minority Health Initiatives - Gateway to DHHS Office of Minority Health initiatives.

• CDC - Office of Minority and Women's Health - Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative - NCID Hispanic/Latino Health identifies areas for future research, intervention, and policy development. In addition, the Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative focuses attention on Hispanic/Latino public health workforce development issues, and supports new and expanded training options. 

• Women & Infectious Diseases - CDC's Office of Minority and Women's Health supports research, education, training, and advocacy to reduce the infectious disease burden among women. The Office works to focus attention on the particular ways infectious diseases impact women, and on the appropriate gender-specific responses for prevention and education. Of particular concern is the impact of infectious diseases on conception, pregnancy, birth, and both maternal and infant mortality. 

• Excellence Centers To Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities (EXCEED) - To understand the causes and factors of these inequalities, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded grants to nine "Excellence Centers To Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities" (EXCEED). Each center is investigating a different theme in an effort to identify and eliminate the causes of health disparities.

• HHS Disparities Initiative Home Page - Background information and entry point to HHS programs for minority and underserved populations.

• Minority Women's Health Panel of Experts - The Office on Women's Health (OWH) established the Minority Women's Health Panel of Experts in response to its 1997 conference, "Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Partnerships to Improve Minority Women's Health." The panel is composed of physicians, clinicians, community advocates, and academics working in communities and health settings around the country that serve racially and ethnically diverse women.

• HRSA's Family and Intimate Violence Prevention Initiative - In 1995, HRSA's Office of Minority Health launched a project called the Family and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Initiative. In collaboration with an Agency-wide Steering Committee, and more than 80 national experts, HRSA developed an Action Plan to Prevent Family and Intimate Partner Violence. The Plan is guiding HRSA's response to family and intimate partner violence now and into the 21st century. It addresses a wide spectrum of violence, including spousal abuse and abuse against women, children, and the elderly.

• Indian Women's Health Initiative - This site provides information to Indian Health Service providers and consumers about American Indian and Alaska Native access to care, violence against Native women, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues.

• CDC - Office of Minority and Women's Health - The mission of the Office of Minority and Women's Health in the National Center for Infectious Diseases is to assure that the burden and impact of infectious diseases among racial and ethnic minorities and women is acknowledged and addressed through research, surveillance, education, training, and program development. Of major concern are racial, ethnic, and gender health disparities in infectious diseases.

• DHHS Departmental Minority Initiatives Coordinating Committee (DMICC) Members - The coordinating committee is composed of senior HHS agency staff, and is responsible for coordinating the work of the four minority initiatives. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health chairs the DMICC, and The Office of Minority Health provides staff support to each Operating and Staffing Division.

         Last updated: August 2003