Oral

This session, Community health practices: Changing access and health disparities for underserved populations will present examples of community health planning, policy development, and research that have improved access and decreased health disparities in an underserved Boston neighborhood. Presenters will discuss how community development by a community health center (chc) that serves primarily African Americans and Hispanics has transformed access to health care and services with the added benefits of job creation and decreased crime. Examples of successful chc partnerships will be described with entities such as hospitals, faith communities, local health department, and community-based organizations leading to increased access and improved management of diseases such as diabetes. These partnerships have been essential in planning an annual community-wide outreach initiative (health care revival) that brings community members and stakeholders together to talk about its health, and to share a community health report card that tracks 14 health indicators. To tackle the high rate of obesity, a diverse food and fitness coalition has changed a food desert into a novel mobile farmers’ market that is powered by local youth. It is well documented that vitamin D deficiency is a major health concern around the world. Research will be presented to show the connection between health disparities with important lessons learned from underserved populations. Increasing access and decreasing health disparities continue to be a top priority in underserved communities as health care reform is addressed in Massachusetts and in the country.

Session Objectives: 1. Identify community health strategies to decrease health disparities in diverse populations 2. Discuss coalition building for transforming food deserts to mobile farmers’market 3. Describe key elements of community development that changed access to public health programs in underserved urban communities