About the National Minority Health Month

CONGRESSIONAL ALLIANCE WITH SPEAKER GINGRICH AND U.S. REPS. DEUTSCH TO TACKLE MINORITY HEALTH DISPARITIES

Foundation to Implement Interventions in Congressional Districts

Washington, D.C. (February 8, 2005) – In collaboration with Newt Gingrich, Former U.S. Speaker of the House and Founder of the Center for Health Transformation, and Peter Deutsch, former U.S. Representative from Florida, the National Minority Health Month Foundation (NMHMF) announced today at a press conference in Washington, D.C., the formation of the Congressional Leadership Alliance to Eliminate Health Disparities.

“This Congressional Leadership Alliance is a pioneering, bipartisan initiative which will bring new resources to Congressional Districts to support their efforts to eliminate minority health disparities,” said Dr. Gary Puckrein, Executive Director, NMHMF. “Launching this program is an important first step in our campaign to improve health outcomes in communities through innovation and cooperation.”

The Congressional Leadership Alliance will utilize sound research and timely data to quantify and identify the prevalence of chronic illnesses that disproportionately affect Hispanics and Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders in targeted Congressional Districts in order to make critical recommendations for forward thinking results.

“Working collaboratively, we can bring about a healthier America by closing the “health gap” in minority communities,” said Gingrich. “I applaud the work of the Foundation and their vision in bringing together the stakeholders to tackle this important issue.”

The dramatic differences in health status and health outcomes among minority populations can be attributed to a variety of factors, including lack of access to quality medical care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

HIV prevalence in African American women is 24 times that of white women, and African American men are eight times as likely as their white counterparts to be diagnosed with the disease.
Latinos, American Indians, African Americans and certain Asian-Pacific Islander groups all have rates of diabetes far exceeding Caucasians.
African Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 are 2.5 times more likely to die from heart failure than Caucasians in the same age range.
Minorities bear a greater disease burden associated with mental health disorders, with American Indians and Alaskan Natives suffering from unusually high rates of suicide.

“As a former Member of Congress, I know how important it is to build awareness of the health issues facing Congressional Districts,” said former Congressman Deutsch. “This initiative is about partnering with Congress and the community to bring about positive change to improve the health status of constituents.” Congressman Peter Deutsch has been a leader in consumer healthcare issues for nearly 25 years.

Also in attendance in support of the effort were: U.S. Representatives Donna M. Christensen (VI) and Alcee Hastings (FL-23); Former Congressman Jim Greenwood, President, Biotechnology Industry Organization ( BIO ); and Dr. Michael Loberg, NitroMed, Inc.

Community organizations, industry leaders and health experts — who will work in cooperation to implement pilot programs in key Congressional Districts affected by chronic diseases — also gathered at the National Press Club to discuss the need to localize interventions in order to bridge the health gap. Among them were: Winston Price, M.D., President, National Medical Association; Randall W. Maxey, M.D., President, Alliance of Minority Medical Associations; Ron Finch, National Business Group on Health; Kline, CEO, Hispanic Radio Network; and Michael Loberg, President and CEO of NitroMed, Inc., serving as corporate sponsor of the event.

The Congressional Leadership Alliance to Eliminate Health Disparities will convene at the Foundation's 2 nd Annual National Health Disparities Summit on April 26-27, 2005 in Washington , D.C. The Alliance will work to identify key Congressional Districts and design a systematic framework to bring about evidence-based solutions. For more information, please contact Cleve Mesidor at (202) 223-7560 or via email at cmesidor@americanvisions.com .

National Minority Health Month Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes the building of coalitions and evidence-based solutions towards the elimination of health disparities.