Sharma & McPherson awarded $1.1 million grant to address emerging local health disparities

To address emerging health disparities across underserved communities in Houston, the UTHealth School of Public Health has been awarded a $1.1 million grant from the Houston City Council.

The project’s goal is to advance equity, elevate the roles of Community Health Workers (CHWs), and create new workforce development opportunities for CHWs, through the efforts of the Health Equity Collective (HEC). HEC is a network of over 180 member organizations across areas of health care, social services, and academic institutions focused on achieving health equity. UTHealth School of Public Health serves as the home of HEC, linking CHWs, their network of organizations, and the communities that need services.

HEC由流行病学，人类遗传学和环境科学系Uthealth公共卫生学院共同领导：Shreela Sharma博士，教授；以及高级项目经理MPH Heidi McPherson。这两个共同领导者都是迈克尔和苏珊·戴尔健康生活中心的一部分。

Sharma说：“我们作为系统联盟的举措是使跨医疗保健和社区组织的努力保持一致，以协调和改善大休斯顿居民获得社会服务的机会。”“这项慷慨的赠款将有助于我们解决问题，从而改善这些弱势社区获得更好的医疗保健的机会。”

优先级从衡量粮食不安全对健康的影响到研究社区健康成果的持久影响。beplay苹果手机能用吗CHW的角色是通过与社区建立相互联系的关系来促进项目目标以促进参与。

Sharma说：“资金将加强在基层工作的组织，还将为可能无法获得食品，运输或住房的社区带来更多资源。”

“The work is systems change – improving the systems that grassroots efforts sit in, targeting all of these individual efforts, and providing a more solid foundation for them to build off,” McPherson said.

Uthealth公共卫生学院还将与休斯顿非营利组织，更明亮的叮咬分包，这是一项基于证据的健康促进计划，旨在改善新鲜农产品的机会以及为大休斯顿地区的高风险儿童及其家人提供营养教育。营养食品的可用性与促进访问起着至关重要的健康生活方式相关。2021年的文章营养目前的发展journal cites an increase in food insecurity since the COVID–19 pandemic, which disproportionately affects minorities.

“Key barriers to achieving health for all are social drivers including lack of access to basic needs such as food, housing, and healthcare. Through HEC and this funding support, we will strengthen our network of CHWs and establish the means for addressing these barriers,” Sharma said.