Q5: HBFP Franchising ? ?
Response:
The word franchise is defined as “…the right or license granted to an individual or group to market a company's goods or services in a particular territory”
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/franchise
Sustaining the Healthy Black Family Project is critical. I am working on several options including, but not limited to, creation of a “franchise.” Franchise is one of several options I am exploring to find the best way to sustain the Healthy Black Family Project. The cost of operating the HBFP is over one million dollars per year. As you know the program is “NO CHARGE” to the over 6,000 participants. We benefit from grants by local and national foundations and the NIH as well as donations. We are now in the middle of a one million dollar fund raising campaign (click below).
http://www.cmh.pitt.edu/news_102307.asp
My aim is that before we reach the 2010 deadline we will have a viable sustainability plan to keep HBFP going on into the future and spreading across the nation. Franchise is only one idea. Other ideas include service contracts with Highmark, UPMC Health Plan, Gateway Health Plan and other insurance companies that would actually fund CMH to deliver HBFP to their members. Another idea is to produce health education content in the form of DVDs and TV shows that would generate income to support the HBFP.
There are many more ideas that we must consider and I am open to any and all ideas for how to sustain the program.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Question 4: Barbers & Stylists in Research Center of Excellence
Q4: How can we 'train' barbers and stylists to be integral parts of Research Center of Excellence in Minority Health Disparities (RCEMHD)
Response:
The CMH works in partnership with 10 barbershops/salons located in the Health Empowerment Zone. Over the past six years this innovative collaboration has evolved into our Health Advocates In-Reach (HAIR) intervention under the leadership of Mr. Mario Browne, CMH Project director. Click below to learn more about HAIR
http://minority-health.pitt.edu/archive/00000775/01/Full_Service-HealthEd&Behavior_557.pdf
http://minority-health.pitt.edu/archive/00000574/01/TAKE_A_HEALTH_PROFESSIONALH.pdf
Within the context of the RCEMHD, the shops serve as portals of entry for individuals into the Healthy Black Family Project. They are also sites for dissemination of evidence based health information including, but not limited to, mental wellness, obesity prevention, access to health insurance, environmental justice and other material. The barbers and stylist have received "mini-grants" to support their efforts. Importantly, the shops provide a venue for the annual Take A Health Professional to the People Day each September.
The barbershops /salons are in intregral part of the RCEMHD Community Research Engagement Core (Dr. Angela Ford, Core Dir.). Click below to learn more about the Community Research Engagement Core
http://smartpanther.gsph.pitt.edu/pdf/export/community_core_final.pdf
Click below to learn more about the integration of barbershops/salons into the RCEMHD.
http://smartpanther.gsph.pitt.edu/pdf/export/PROGRESS_SUMMARY.pdf
Response:
The CMH works in partnership with 10 barbershops/salons located in the Health Empowerment Zone. Over the past six years this innovative collaboration has evolved into our Health Advocates In-Reach (HAIR) intervention under the leadership of Mr. Mario Browne, CMH Project director. Click below to learn more about HAIR
http://minority-health.pitt.edu/archive/00000775/01/Full_Service-HealthEd&Behavior_557.pdf
http://minority-health.pitt.edu/archive/00000574/01/TAKE_A_HEALTH_PROFESSIONALH.pdf
Within the context of the RCEMHD, the shops serve as portals of entry for individuals into the Healthy Black Family Project. They are also sites for dissemination of evidence based health information including, but not limited to, mental wellness, obesity prevention, access to health insurance, environmental justice and other material. The barbers and stylist have received "mini-grants" to support their efforts. Importantly, the shops provide a venue for the annual Take A Health Professional to the People Day each September.
The barbershops /salons are in intregral part of the RCEMHD Community Research Engagement Core (Dr. Angela Ford, Core Dir.). Click below to learn more about the Community Research Engagement Core
http://smartpanther.gsph.pitt.edu/pdf/export/community_core_final.pdf
Click below to learn more about the integration of barbershops/salons into the RCEMHD.
http://smartpanther.gsph.pitt.edu/pdf/export/PROGRESS_SUMMARY.pdf
Question 3: More Help
Q3: Will the Center be bringing in more support (students or staff) to work with the various interventions?
Response:
1. Response:
The short answer is yes. The CMH will have two Kellogg Health Disparity Scholars in 2007 and we continue to identify new junior faculty to work with us on a variety of research projects. However, the key is “…more staff/student support…” that will help reduce work load stress. I am working with the Dean’s office to make a case for new staff support. The justification requires that we conduct a workload audit demonstrating how current staff are deployed and where the gaps are that must be filled. Keep in mind, we have experienced tremendous growth over the past seven years (15 to 20 new staff) and the vast majority of them are supported on “soft-money” …. (grants / contracts). We need enough staff and the right staff to successfully carry out the work in order to secure additional grants / contracts to keep everyone employed. It is a matter of balance and management to keep the CMH moving forward.
Response:
1. Response:
The short answer is yes. The CMH will have two Kellogg Health Disparity Scholars in 2007 and we continue to identify new junior faculty to work with us on a variety of research projects. However, the key is “…more staff/student support…” that will help reduce work load stress. I am working with the Dean’s office to make a case for new staff support. The justification requires that we conduct a workload audit demonstrating how current staff are deployed and where the gaps are that must be filled. Keep in mind, we have experienced tremendous growth over the past seven years (15 to 20 new staff) and the vast majority of them are supported on “soft-money” …. (grants / contracts). We need enough staff and the right staff to successfully carry out the work in order to secure additional grants / contracts to keep everyone employed. It is a matter of balance and management to keep the CMH moving forward.
Question 2: Walk the Walk
Q: How can CMH better the health of its employees? Can each work day include some healthy activity or class? It definitely would help ensure we practice what we preach and help boost morale.
Response:
I am often reminded that when it comes to the CMH staff, we are the people we SERVE in the Healthy Black Family Project. In other words, many of the staff members were recruited and hired because they are part of the communities where health disparities exist. Strategies to “…better the health of …employees” include but are not limited to the following:
A. Join the HBFP, there is no charge. Most of the people engaged in HBFP have fulltime jobs … just like our staff. The HBFP classes are offered through the day, evenings and on Saturday.
B. If staff members do not want to participate in HBFP or cannot join for any reason, remember that all fulltime PITT staff have benefits from the UPMC Health Plan which also offers healthy lifestyle programs. The UPMC Health Plan services come as a benefit and at times with incentives for participation (see link below).
http://www.upmchealthplan.com/online/employers.html
Recently Mr. Mario Brown, CMH Project Director, created a team (Thomas' Promises) in response to a UPMC Health Plan campaign to address obesity through increasing physical activity. I encourage all staff to join this effort and I commend Mario for demonstrating leadership on this matter. (click below for details)
http://www.hr.pitt.edu/fitness/weightrace.htm
As Center Director I cannot “mandate” that staff join any of these programs. However, the opportunity and encouragement for CMH staff to engage in healthy lifestyles are literally all around us. Just Do It !!
Response:
I am often reminded that when it comes to the CMH staff, we are the people we SERVE in the Healthy Black Family Project. In other words, many of the staff members were recruited and hired because they are part of the communities where health disparities exist. Strategies to “…better the health of …employees” include but are not limited to the following:
A. Join the HBFP, there is no charge. Most of the people engaged in HBFP have fulltime jobs … just like our staff. The HBFP classes are offered through the day, evenings and on Saturday.
B. If staff members do not want to participate in HBFP or cannot join for any reason, remember that all fulltime PITT staff have benefits from the UPMC Health Plan which also offers healthy lifestyle programs. The UPMC Health Plan services come as a benefit and at times with incentives for participation (see link below).
http://www.upmchealthplan.com/online/employers.html
Recently Mr. Mario Brown, CMH Project Director, created a team (Thomas' Promises) in response to a UPMC Health Plan campaign to address obesity through increasing physical activity. I encourage all staff to join this effort and I commend Mario for demonstrating leadership on this matter. (click below for details)
http://www.hr.pitt.edu/fitness/weightrace.htm
As Center Director I cannot “mandate” that staff join any of these programs. However, the opportunity and encouragement for CMH staff to engage in healthy lifestyles are literally all around us. Just Do It !!
Question 1: Priority Population
Q: How can we better reach the entire minority population of Pittsburgh? Many of our interventions seem to be focused in the East End?
Response:
I made a strategic decision to focus on the African American population because it is the largest minority population and where the most significanct health disparities exist. In order to demonstrate effectiveness we must first begin where the problem is most obvious and that is in black neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh. For the purpose meeting the goals and objectives of our grants (NIH and Foundations) the "entire population" constitutes 10,000 African Americans. As of December 2007, our Healthy Black Family Project had enrolled approximately 6,000 African Americans (60% of our target goal!).
According to Pittsburgh’s Racial Demographics: Differences and Disparities (2007), a recent report by the Center for Race and Social Problems in the UPITT School of Social Work, presents data on the four racial/ethnic groups (Whites, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics) and for four geographic areas (city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the U.S.). For the most part, Pittsburgh lacks racial/ethnic diversity compared to other cities and the nation. We are for the most part a Black / White town as illustrated in the table below.
Online Source: http://www.crsp.pitt.edu/downloads/demographics/Demographics_Complete.pdf
Blacks make up approximately 12% of the population in Allegheny County and 27% of the population in the city of Pittsburgh. Hispanics and other minority groups are 1-2% of the population. Additionally, Whites and African Americans in the Pittsburgh region live largely in racially segregated communities. This is the reason CMH collaborated with the Allegheny County Health Department to create the Health Empowerment
Zone (HEZ). Over 80% of African American live in the East End neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. With limited resources and a target date of 2010 to demonstrate results, we decided to beging our efforts where most African Americans live.
Thus, the Kingsley Association and Hosanna House is where we established our Healthy Black Family Project base of operation. In 2007, we received approval from The Pittsburgh Foundation to expand into the Hill District and the Northside. This expansion constitutes a citywide reach into black neighborhoods across the city.
Response:
I made a strategic decision to focus on the African American population because it is the largest minority population and where the most significanct health disparities exist. In order to demonstrate effectiveness we must first begin where the problem is most obvious and that is in black neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh. For the purpose meeting the goals and objectives of our grants (NIH and Foundations) the "entire population" constitutes 10,000 African Americans. As of December 2007, our Healthy Black Family Project had enrolled approximately 6,000 African Americans (60% of our target goal!).
According to Pittsburgh’s Racial Demographics: Differences and Disparities (2007), a recent report by the Center for Race and Social Problems in the UPITT School of Social Work, presents data on the four racial/ethnic groups (Whites, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics) and for four geographic areas (city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the U.S.). For the most part, Pittsburgh lacks racial/ethnic diversity compared to other cities and the nation. We are for the most part a Black / White town as illustrated in the table below.
Online Source: http://www.crsp.pitt.edu/downloads/demographics/Demographics_Complete.pdf
Blacks make up approximately 12% of the population in Allegheny County and 27% of the population in the city of Pittsburgh. Hispanics and other minority groups are 1-2% of the population. Additionally, Whites and African Americans in the Pittsburgh region live largely in racially segregated communities. This is the reason CMH collaborated with the Allegheny County Health Department to create the Health Empowerment
Zone (HEZ). Over 80% of African American live in the East End neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. With limited resources and a target date of 2010 to demonstrate results, we decided to beging our efforts where most African Americans live.Thus, the Kingsley Association and Hosanna House is where we established our Healthy Black Family Project base of operation. In 2007, we received approval from The Pittsburgh Foundation to expand into the Hill District and the Northside. This expansion constitutes a citywide reach into black neighborhoods across the city.
Questions from My Staff
Over the past eight years the Center for Minority Health has experienced rapid growth from two fulltime staff to more than 20 today. The need for ongoing communication could not be more pressing. In order to be more responsive to staff needs Dr. Angela Ford instituted “question cards” staff used to write down their questions and for me to provide a response. The questions are listed below and the list will grow over time.
This blog is created as an efficient means not only to respond to questions from my staff, but also to highlight the challenge and opportunity Center Directors across the nation have in building the field of minority health and health disparity research.
Each Question and response will be listed as a separate posting to this blog
Dr. T
This blog is created as an efficient means not only to respond to questions from my staff, but also to highlight the challenge and opportunity Center Directors across the nation have in building the field of minority health and health disparity research.
Each Question and response will be listed as a separate posting to this blog
Dr. T
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