What are the FCHDR's purpose and objectives?

The purpose of FCHDR is to engage a wide range of federal institutions to identify, support, and coordinate research priorities for cross-agency research collaboration to hasten the elimination of health disparities.

The Collaboration's purpose is supported by four objectives:

• Explore the complexity of health disparities elimination to identify new or improved solutions (e.g., new and innovative breakthrough strategies, tailoring strategies to better address social and environmental determinants);
• Coordinate across and between federal agencies to support research that will lead to elimination of health disparities;
• Support and disseminate innovative research to infuse and enhance services in key public health areas; and
• Identify priorities for cross-agency collaborations.

How and why was the FCHDR formed?

The FCHDR is an outgrowth of broader HHS efforts to coordinate research and data, and CDC's efforts to develop Advancing the Nation‘s Health: A Guide to Public Health Research Needs, 2006–2015 and their Health Protection Goals, all of which emphasize eliminating health disparities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the Office of Minority Health (OMH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS), and the Interagency Committee on Disabilities Research of the US Department of Education (DOE) brought together numerous federal partners to form the FCHDR to better advance health disparities research.

The co-leads are the Health Disparities Council (HDC) of DHHS and the ICDR of the DoEd. Dr. Garth Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority health represents the HDC.and Dr. Constance Pledger, Executive Director of the ICDR represents her organization. The management of the collaboration is housed in the OMH. In September 2007, management was transferred from the CDC after their hard work to establish the collaboration.

Under the guidance of the co leads, the FCHDR is led by the Steering Committee, which represents the federal partners in the collaboration. The Steering Committee provides leadership, guidance and coordination to support and assure the achievement of key FCHDR outcomes.

The collaborative has decided to initially focus on four topical areas:

• Systems-wide approach to reducing obesity in vulnerable and disparate populations
• Quality indicators for people with multiple diseases and health conditions
• Culturally appropriate access to mental health care
• Research into the built environment and vulnerable populations

• First meeting, May 24, 2006, in Washington, D.C.: 74 participants from 10 federal departments identified 165 potential areas for research and multi-agency collaboration, formed a collaborative planning workgroup to guide the future work of FCHDR, and identified four research priority focus areas for further development.
  • Systems-wide approach to reducing obesity in vulnerable and disparate populations
  • Quality indicators for people with multiple diseases and health conditions
  • Culturally appropriate access to mental health care
  • Research into the built environment and vulnerable populations
• Second meeting, December 5–6, 2006, in Atlanta, Georgia: 96 participants from six federal departments developed descriptions of research needed for each of the top four focus areas and discussed how to sustain FCHDR.
• Identified the HHS Disparities Council (HDC) and Department of Education ICDR as Co-Leads of FCHDR.
• Finalized draft research concepts for the four research priority focus areas identified at the December meeting.
• Held third meeting on June 14, 2007, in Washington, D.C.: 45 participants from eight federal departments met to develop a Steering Committee and set the future direction of FCHDR.
• September 17, 2007: First meeting of the FCHDR Steering Committee, Alexandria Virginia. Approved Operational Plan, discussed necessary next steps and goals for the first 90 days of the Steering Committee/FCHDR

• Fall 2007: FCHDR will formalize SME Workgroups on four research priority focus areas; determine first year products and goals.

For more information, please contact Dr. Suzanne Heurtin-Roberts, Office of Minority Health, HHS, at Suzanne.HeurtinRoberts@hhs.gov or 240-453-6157.