Dr. Robert Valdez and Dr. Nina Wallerstein of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico are presenting at the largest national summit on health disparities ever convened. Sponsored by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the 27 institutes and centers at the National Institute of Health, the two day Summit on the Science of Eliminating Health Disparities examines the intersection of science, practice and policy.
Valdez, executive director of the RWJF Center for Health Policy, joined author Maya Angelou as keynote speaker in the opening plenary session.
“Health disparities really mean that many American Indians die young, African Americans die five years earlier than Whites, and Latinos often die after painful and disabling disease,” Valdez said. “These premature deaths largely are the result of the social and economic inequalities in our society ─ the social determents of health. Progressive social policies can reduce these inequities and improve the health of the (re)public.”
Scheduled for December 16-18, the Summit highlights many complex biological and non-biological factors that influence health outcomes and brings together nearly 4,000 of the nation's leading health disparity experts across disciplines. In addition to the keynote, Valdez is participating in a breakout session focused on showcasing best-practice models in graduate education and training.
Wallerstein, director of the UNM Center for Participatory Research - Institute of Public Health, participates on a panel focused on community participatory research methods, set during the second plenary session on Health Disparities and the Intersection of Science and Practice.
The RWJF Center for Health Policy is the only health policy center dedicated to increasing the number of leaders from Latino and American Indian communities helping to shape the future of our nation's health and health care. A collaboration of the University of New Mexico and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the RWJF Center for Health Policy focuses on inserting the voices of Latino, American Indian and other “underrepresented” groups into the most pressing health policy debates today. Visit RWJF Center for Health Policy for further information.
For additional information contact the RWJF Center for Health Policy at (505) 277-0130 or e-mail, rwjf@unm.edu.
Media contacts: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu or Victor E. Cornejo, (202) 276-9342; e-mail: victor@cornejocommunications.com
Posted by scarr at December 17, 2008 03:45 PM