About REACH Across the U.S. (2007 to Present)

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Across the U.S. (REACH U.S.) is a national program and important cornerstone of CDC’s efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States. This program builds on the body of knowledge initiated by projects funded under the original REACH 2010 cooperative agreement program. Through establishing a national infrastructure to promote evidence- and practice-based public health programs, community-based participatory approaches, and the integration of systemic influences, REACH U.S. supports and disseminates programmatic activities that are successful in the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.

REACH U.S. funds a total of 40 grantee partners that were selected to operate under one of two levels of funding—

1. Centers of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (CEEDs) serve as national and regional expert centers by providing experience and expertise working with one or more racial and ethnic groups as well as having a high level of expertise in addressing one or more of the priority health problems listed below. The CEEDs were established to be a resource for mentoring communities in processes of community mobilization, community-based participatory research, and program development and evaluation. CEEDs have the infrastructure to implement, coordinate, refine, and disseminate the range of programmatic activities needed to work successfully toward the elimination of health disparities. CEEDs also provide pilot funding, support, local training, and guidance to Legacy Projects to encourage them to initiate or enhance work towards the elimination of health disparities. Members of communities may apply to a CEED through a competitive application process for Legacy funding. There are 18 REACH U.S. CEEDs.

2. Action Communities (ACs) are community-based programs implementing evidence-based programs and approaches to eliminate disparities in a selected health problem. ACs are particularly attentive to cultural and environmental influences on health status and behaviors. ACs play a central role in the translation of evidence-based public health strategies in their local communities. There are 22 REACH U.S. ACs.

Both levels of funding focus on at least one of the following racial and ethnic groups: African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino as well as at least one of the following health priority area(s): breast and cervical cancer; cardiovascular disease; diabetes mellitus; adult/older adult immunization, hepatitis B, and/or tuberculosis; asthma; and infant mortality.

Contributions to Public Health

REACH U.S. supports CDC’s strategic goals by addressing health disparities in critical life stages (infants, children, adolescents, adults, and older adults) and developing innovative approaches to improving health in communities, health care settings, schools, work sites, and after-school programs.

CDC provides training, technical assistance, and support to REACH U.S. grantee partners in understanding the social determinants of health and their relation to health disparities. Current work in the area of racial and ethnic health disparities point to various conditions and existing social and organizational structures that impact disparities among racial and ethnic groups, such as health care systems/institutional conditions (e.g., quality, access, levels of care, culturally appropriate care); policy decisions at the local, state, and national levels; and the social, environmental, and cultural contexts in which disparities persist. REACH U.S. grantee partners have identified numerous individual, community, societal, cultural, and environmental factors that must be changed in order to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities. Thus, using the social-ecological perspective, each REACH U.S. grantee partner develops appropriate programs that address the complex and deeply engrained influences on racial and ethnic health disparities. By sharing their strategies and best practices, the REACH grantee partners give communities and other public health programs valuable tools to eliminate health disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations.

REACH U.S. Grantee Partner Summary

The following tables provide a numeric overview of the 40 grantee partners by listing the number of—

• grantees who were formerly funded by the REACH 2010 program;
• grantees who are focusing on specific racial and ethnic groups; and
• grantees who are focusing on specific health priority areas.

For a summary of the CEEDs, please see table 1. For a summary of the ACs, please see table 2.

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Page last reviewed: November 27, 2007
Page last modified: November 27, 2007
Content source: Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion