NASHVILLE, Tenn. The Consortium Core of the Precision Medicine and Health Disparities Collaborative (PMHDC) announced on March 15 the approval of funding to three community-based organizations in the Southeast region -- the Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center, the Progreso Community Center and Fl CHW Coalition, Inc. -- as the Community Engagement Planning Awards for Year One.
The goal of this funding opportunity announcement is to build a new collaboration or strengthen an existing collaboration between a not-for-profit, community-based organization and an academic partner on innovative projects and initiatives using precision medicine approaches.
The overall goal and mission of the PMHDC is to enable research using precision medicine approaches to confront health disparities in the Southeastern United States. This approach will require strong collaborations between researchers, community organizations, health service providers, public health agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that relevant, contextually appropriate research is conducted and findings translated into sustainable community and system-level changes that promote health equity.
Awards are for $25,000 to a lead not-for-profit, community based organization that is collaborating with an academic institution on the project. Funds will support innovative projects and initiatives to engage minority, vulnerable and medically underserved populations in precision medicine and health disparities initiatives such as research, training and increased community awareness.
Awarded organizations:
- The Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center (Florida) will develop and implement a series of Community Outreach Educational events on precision medicine topics targeting community members and allied health professionals.
- Progreso Community Center / Nashville Latino Health Coalition (Tennessee) will conduct preliminary work via focus groups for a future community engaged research study to test patient educational materials about precision medicine for Hispanic patients at community forums and individual interviews.
- Fl CHW Coalition, Inc. (Florida) will coordinate a multi-platform education and dissemination activities to provide a structured training program for Community Health Workers in precision medicine and genomics. This specialized training with a 90-minute curriculum will be conducted in both English and Spanish, and across the six Florida regions.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.
