NIAMS Multicultural Outreach News — May 20, 2009

May 20, 2009

The NIAMS Multicultural Outreach News is an online quarterly digest to help keep our partners informed about information and resources for multicultural communities on diseases and conditions of the bones, joints, muscles and skin.

   Feature Story
   Multicultural News & Events
   HPP/CHC Update
   Where is the NIAMS?
   Featured Resources
   NIAMS HPP Spotlight

   Health Information
   Portal en espanol
   Contact Us

Sara Rosario Wilson
Multicultural Outreach
Coordinator

Mimi Lising, M.P.H.
Multicultural Health Educator

Janet S. Austin, Ph.D.
Director

Office of Communications and Public Liaison
niamsinfo@mail.nih.gov

Website: www.niams.nih.gov

Dear HPP Partners,

Welcome to the first issue of National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases’ (NIAMS) Multicultural Outreach News. This new online format will replace the HPP Update that you have received in the past. We will continue to share news about the Health Partnership Program (HPP), but we also plan to widen the scope to include information about multicultural issues. We are excited about this new format and we continue to welcome your feedback and ideas for future issues.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression and includes measures to modernize our Nation’s infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.

For more information about NIAMS’ involvement in the ARRA, please visit http://www.niams.nih.gov/recovery.

On May 14–15, 2009, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) presented ”Improving Health WITH Communities: The Role of Community Engagement in Clinical and Translational Research” in Bethesda, MD. This innovative conference explored effective and successful models and best practices to collaborate with communities. This event was free and open to the public.

This conference:

Explored methods for community engagement within the context of clinical and translational research.
Provided a forum for discussion of experiences and ideas concerning education and training of researchers and their teams in community-engagement principles and practices.
Provided a forum for discussion of experiences and ideas concerning education and support of community partners working with researchers at academic institutions.
Provided a networking opportunity across translational and clinical disciplines, including new and established Clinical and Translational Science Awards grantees and their respective community partners.
Identified national and regional resources to support effective localized community engagement research efforts.

A videocast of this event will be available at http://videocast.nih.gov under Past Events.

At the February NIAMS Advisory Council meeting, Drs. Janet Austin and Mark Gourley presented the accomplishments of the NIAMS HPP and the Community Health Center (CHC) since their inception in 2000. Below are some highlights of the presentation.

Over the past 7 years, NIAMS has demonstrated its commitment to serving minority communities through the HPP’s five components:

Patient Care
Recruitment to Research Careers
Health Disparities Research
Public Health Education
Community Relations

Key accomplishments:

NIAMS has collaborated with partners in over 350 outreach activities.
NIAMS has developed more than 50 easy-to-read, culturally appropriate health information materials.
Through our Patient Liaison Service, we have assisted in over 500 patient visits to the Clinical Center.
NIAMS has provided DC-area residents access to specialty-care and science-based health information through the CHC.
Dozens of clinical fellows have benefited from a unique community-based learning experience in rheumatic diseases at the CHC.
Since the CHC opened in 2001, NIAMS has provided services to approximately 1,800 new patients.

None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the help of our partners. We thank you for your support. Learn more about the NIAMS Health Partnership Program.

NIAMS will be exhibiting at the following events:

Asian American Health Conference
May 20
Gaithersburg, MD

American Academy of Physician Assistants
May 23
San Diego, CA

American College of Sports Medicine
May 27
Seattle, WA

Bone Health Information for Multicultural Communities
To better meet the needs of community members, NIAMS has developed the Healthy Bones—Why They Matter series, listed below. These fact sheets offer a general overview of osteoporosis and describe factors that may increase the chances of developing the disease among members of specific racial and ethnic groups. Empowering individuals to protect their bones, the publications also include a simple risk-factor checklist, along with details about where to go for additional information and advice.

Healthy Bones—Why They Matter for African Americans
Healthy Bones—Why They Matter for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Healthy Bones—Why They Matter for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Healthy Bones—Why They Matter for Chinese Americans
Healthy Bones—Why They Matter for Hispanics and Latinos

If your organization is interested in distributing any of these publications, multiple copies are available through the NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center (NRC) by calling 800-624-2663 or completing an electronic order form.

The NIAMS online catalog makes it simple to locate, download, and order the complete set of Chinese-language publications.

Arthritis Information Offered in New Format on NIHSeniorHealth Site
Visitors to the NIHSeniorHealth Website can now go directly to specific information about conditions such as gout, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Each section offers a definition of the disease, a look at direct causes and risk factors, a description of common symptoms and diagnostic tools, a guide to treatment methods, and an overview of current research. In addition, the site includes answers to frequently asked questions, short videos featuring health professionals and patients, and links to MedlinePlus for more information.

Designed specifically for older adults, NIHSeniorHealth allows users to customize their experiences by increasing the size of the font, changing the contrast and color, and hearing the text as audio. Take a look at the redesigned content featured in the following articles:

Gout
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis

The May 2009 NIH Public Bulletin
Read about the latest public events, activities, and health information resources from NIH in the May 2009 issue of the NIH Public Bulletin. Here is your opportunity to:

Discover grocery shopping tips to help prevent diabetes.
Participate in a workshop on nutrition and physical activity for cancer survivors.
Get answers to your questions about voice disorders, eye health, and clinical research.
Learn about Renaissance science and its influence on the Harry Potter series.
Find out how one NIH Center celebrated Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day.
Visit a Web community to discuss Alzheimer's disease.
Check out drug use screening tools for physicians and a postcard for patients.

View the latest issue of the NIH Public Bulletin to learn more.

For prior issues, visit All Issues.

NIH News in Health May Issue
The May issue of NIH News in Health is online and features the following health capsules:

No More Butts: Snuff Out That Cigarette for Good
A Window to Your Health: Your Eyes Reveal a Bigger Picture
Exercise Helps After Heart Failure

Visit NIH News in Health–a monthly newsletter that presents practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research.

La Clínica del Pueblo

When visiting the state-of-the-art facilities of La Clínica del Pueblo in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC, you may not realize that all of this was started in a borrowed room by a group of volunteer doctors. Twenty-five years later, La Clínica remains true to its grass roots and its mission to offer culturally appropriate health services to Hispanics and others in need, regardless of their ability to pay, by providing 55,000 health services each year to a patient population that is 90-percent uninsured or underinsured. The bilingual staff at La Clínica supports a vast array of programs, including primary care, mental health, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and social services.

The services of La Clínica reach well beyond its doors. Its Interpreter Services Program ensures access to health care for linguistic minorities at medical facilities throughout the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and provides medical interpretation training to bilingual medical staff throughout the city clinics and hospitals. La Clínica also holds dozens of outreach events and health fairs annually. NIAMS, through the HPP, provides printed materials and experts on lupus, arthritis, and other rheumatic diseases at some of these venues to support this educational effort.

“From the very beginning, La Clínica has promoted increasing access to health services through education, outreach, and language access. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with other service organizations in order to remove barriers for the uninsured and to ensure that everyone has the right to health care,” says La Clínica’s Executive Director, Alicia Wilson.

La Clínica is located at 2831 15th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20009–4607.

NIAMS can provide health information or staff to help make your community event or health fair successful. Please email Sara Rosario Wilson or call 301–496–8190 for more information.

If you would like to be removed from this email list, please contact Mimi Lising.