Elimination of health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority populations cannot happen without the united efforts of our public and private sectors. Further, we believe that ideas should flow from the grassroots to our government and private policy-makers. Throughout the National Partnership for Action, we will strive to ensure that all voices are heard, and that community voices help shape national and local policy on health disparities.

The Office of Minority Health (OMH) is looking for partners from all sectors that are willing to collaborate with others and make a commitment to help develop, support, and implement this initiative.

Partners may include community- and faith-based organizations, professional societies, government agencies, national non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, foundations, corporations, businesses of all sizes, industry groups, and colleges and universities.

As members of the NPA, partners agree to:

• Support the goals of the NPA.
• Commit to help develop, plan, and implement efforts to reduce or eliminate health disparities.

To become a partner, an organization must agree to conduct at least one substantial activity during the course of the year that is intended to help achieve the campaign's goals of eliminating health disparities.

In addition, each partner shall:

1. Appoint one representative as the main NPA contact.
2. Describe the activity which it intends to organize in support of the NPA in sufficient detail so that others will understand the strategy, intended outcomes, and success measures that the partner will employ.
3. Provide information about its activities and outcomes that can be shared with the broad network of partners.

Here are some ways partners can contribute to the National Partnership for Action:

• Develop a campaign or program to educate your membership, employees, or the public about racial and ethnic health disparities and promoting healthy living;
• Organize and sponsor a health disparities campaign, outreach, or health promotion and disease prevention event;
• Participate in a local, state, regional, or Tribal NPA action meeting to share strategies and solutions;
• Share promising practices and lessons learned;
• Improve coordination and utilization of research or outcome evaluations in the work you conduct related to health disparities;
• Take steps to improve coordination and utilization of research and outcome evaluations in your health disparities activities;
• Take action to promote cultural competency in health care delivery; and
• Include core messages from the NPA into your health materials, your meetings or conferences, or your communications with employees and members.

The National Partnership for Action is not an OMH funding opportunity. While OMH may from time to time engage in joint activities or provide financial assistance to organizations that are partners, partners should not expect access to OMH funding.

Partners will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of regional action plans aimed at eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities. OMH will be organizing "Regional Conversations" to kick off the action plan development. The Send Us Your Ideas section of this web site is always available for feedback on the NPA or new ideas for consideration of the regional work groups.

Partner contributions to a Regional Action Plan ultimately will be reflected in the National Blueprint and Call to Action that will be produced by the NPA.

Partners will be invited to a Regional Conversation, while space permits.

Partners and their NPA activities will be listed on the NPA web site. Only partners may list official events and activities. Other events of interest may be listed on the OMH web site.

We will announce names of all new partners in NPA’s monthly electronic newsletter, and we will write feature stories on selected partner activities for the newsletter and web site.

Partners will receive an invitation to the 2009 Minority Health Disparities Summit.

The following considerations/criteria will be used by the OMH to accept organizations into the National Partnership for Action.

1. Are the activities proposed by the offering entity likely to impact on reducing racial/ethnic health disparities, consistent with the goals of the NPA?
2. Are the mission of the organization and the services it provides consistent with the NPA goals and do not detract from the OMH or HHS mission, image, integrity, and/or credibility?
3. Does the prospective partner have the expertise and capacity to carry out its proposed activities?
4. Has the prospective partner demonstrated a history or willingness to work collaboratively with other public and private sector organizations to achieve the stated NPA goals?

An organization that meets the criteria listed above should expect a partnership decision from OMH within 30 days.

An organization that proposes a joint activity with OMH, in which each party has defined roles and responsibilities, should contact OMH through the website, phone or email, so that an NPA Partnership representative can call you to discuss your ideas. A co-sponsorship agreement will be needed for joint activities, and this may take longer than 30 days.

A partner application form is here. You may also email or write to OMH about your ideas, or call the OMH Resource Center on 1-800-444-6472 to be connected with one of the NPA Partnership Teams.

• The NPA will not endorse, directly or through implication, specific products, services, educational programs or enterprises.
• The NPA will offer all appropriate and interested organizations the opportunity to partner on NPA activities.
• The NPA logo shall be used only for official NPA events and requires the prior approval of the Office of Minority Health. OMH will have final approval authority of all NPA-related materials and press releases which contain NPA and/or OMH logos, marks, and website links.
• OMH may cancel an NPA partnership an organization engages in activities that are inconsistent with the NPA goals or detract from the OMH or HHS mission, image, integrity, and/or credibility.