National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities

Mission

The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) promotes minority health and leads, coordinates, supports, and assesses the NIH effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities. The NCMHD works independently and in partnership with the NIH Institutes and Centers and with other Federal agencies and grassroots organizations in minority and in other medically underserved communities to:

  • Conduct and support basic, clinical, social and behavioral health disparities research;
  • Promote infrastructure development and training;
  • Foster emerging programs;
  • Disseminate information; and
  • Reach out to minority and other health disparities communities.

Important Events in NCMHD History

1990—The Office of Research on Minority Health (ORMH) was established, with the encouragement of Congress, by the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH).

1991—The ORMH convened an advisory Fact-Finding Team (FFT) to conduct three regional conferences with grassroots constituencies. The FFT issued a report with 13 recommendations from the community that guided the initial efforts of the ORMH.

1992—The Minority Health Initiative (MHI), the centerpiece of the ORMH agenda, was launched and initially funded at $45 million. This multi-year biomedical and behavioral research and research training program co-funds through its partnerships 1) interventions to improve prenatal health and reduce infant mortality; 2) studies of childhood and adolescent lead poisoning; HIV infection and AIDS; and alcohol and drug use; 3) research in adult populations focused on cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, asthma, visual impairments, and alcohol abuse; and 4) training for faculty and for students at all stages of the educational pipeline—from precollege and undergraduate through graduate and postdoctoral levels.

1992—The ORMH initiated a study designed to present an overview of NIH extramural research training programs for minority students and to assess the feasibility of conducting a trans-NIH assessment of these programs.

1993—Public Law 103-43, the Health Revitalization Act of 1993, established the Office of Research on Minority Health in the Office of the Director, NIH.

1994—The National Conference on Minority Health Research and Research Training was held in Chicago.

1996—Conferences were held in Honolulu, Hawaii; Miami, Florida; and Puerto Rico to inform ORMH constituencies of the progress made, to solicit feedback on those achievements, and to obtain information on the needs of minority populations.

1997—The Advisory Committee on Research on Minority Health was established to provide advice to the Director, ORMH, and to the Director, NIH, regarding research and research training with respect to minority health issues.

1998—The first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Minority Health was held.

2000—The ORMH celebrated its 10th anniversary.

2000—The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities was established by the passage of the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000, Public Law 106-525, which was signed by the President of the United States on November 22, 2000.

2001—Dr. John Ruffin was sworn in as the first director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

2001—Programs mandated by Congress were implemented to expand the infrastructure of Institutions committed to health disparities research and to encourage the recruitment and retention of highly qualified minority and other scientists in the fields of biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and health services research: (1) the Endowment Program, (2) the Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research, and (3) the Extramural Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds.

2002—The Congressionally mandated program, Project EXPORT—Centers of Excellence, was launched.

2002—The first National Advisory Council of the NCMHD was convened.

2002—The NCMHD assumed responsibility for the Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions Program (RIMI).

2003—The first NIH Strategic Research Plan and Budget to Reduce and Ultimately Eliminate Health Disparities was issued.

2005—The NCMHD assumed responsibility for the Minority International Research Training Program (MIRT) and renamed it the Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training Program (MHIRT).

2005—The NCMHD Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) was established. This program supports community-based participatory research intervention studies to reduce health disparities caused by diseases or conditions affecting minority and other health disparities communities. NCMHD is currently funding 25 CBPR three-year planning grants.

2005—The National Research Council of the National Academies released the report Assessment of NIH Minority Research and Training Programs: Phase 3. The report was the culmination of a series of assessments and analyses of the NIH minority research and training programs initiated by the ORMH, the predecessor to the NCMHD. This report examined the effectiveness of the programs and provided recommendations for improvement.

2006—The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies issued the report Examining the Health Disparities Research Plan of the National Institutes of Health: Unfinished Business. The NCMHD requested this report to assess the adequacy of the NIH Health Disparities Strategic Plan in achieving the goals and objectives; to evaluate the adequacy of coordination among the NIH Institutes and Centers in developing the strategic plan; and to obtain recommendations to help NIH achieve the objectives of the strategic plan.

2007—The NCMHD Centers of Excellence in Partnerships for Community Outreach, Research on Health Disparities and Training (Project EXPORT), was re-competed for the first time. The program was also renamed the NCMHD Centers of Excellence program.

NCMHD Legislative History

1993—P.L. 103-43, the Health Revitalization Act of 1993, established the Office of Research on Minority Health in the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health.

2000—P.L. 106-525, Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000, established the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Biographical Sketch of NCMHD Director John Ruffin, Ph.D.

Dr. John Ruffin is the Director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. He is a well-respected leader and visionary in the field of health disparities. He has devoted his professional life to improving the health status of minority populations in the United States and to developing and supporting educational programs for minority researchers and health care practitioners. His success has been due in large part to his ability to motivate others and gain the support of key individuals and organizations, as well as to his expertise in strategic planning, administration, and the development of numerous collaborative partnerships. For over 15 years, he has led the transformation of the NIH minority health and health disparities research agenda from a programmatic concept to an institutional reality. He has served as the Associate Director for Minority Programs, Office of Minority Programs; and the Associate Director for Research on Minority Health, Office of Research on Minority Health. As the NIH federal official for minority health disparities research, through multi-faceted collaborations, he has planned and brought to fruition the largest biomedical research program in the nation to promote minority health and other health disparities research and training. He has spearheaded the development of the first comprehensive Health Disparities Strategic Plan at NIH. His efforts have impacted local, regional, national and even international communities and have resulted in a growing portfolio of:

  • Research, training, and capacity building programs
  • Health professionals and scientists of racial/ethnic minority populations
  • Centers of Excellence conducting cutting-edge health disparities research
  • Endowment awards to academic institutions and
  • Community-based participatory research initiatives

Dr. Ruffin has been committed to conceptualizing, developing and implementing innovative programs that create new learning opportunities and exposure for minority and health disparity students and faculty, as well as minority-serving institutions. In his quest to eliminate health disparities, the hallmark of his approach is to foster and expand strategic partnerships in alliance with the NIH Institute and Center directors, various Federal and state agencies, community organizations, academic institutions, private sector leaders, and international governments and non-governmental organizations.

His life-long commitment to academic excellence, improving minority health and promoting training and health disparities research, has earned him distinguished national awards. Dr. Ruffin has received an honorary doctor of science degree from Spelman College, Tuskegee University, and the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He has been recognized by: the National Medical Association, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science; the Association of American Indian Physicians, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; the Society of Black Academic Surgeons; and the National Science Foundation. The John Ruffin Scholarship Program is an honor symbolic of his legacy for academic excellence bestowed by the Duke University Talent Identification Program. He has also received the Samuel L. Kountz Award for his significant contribution to increasing minority access to organ and tissue transplantation; the NIH Director’s Award; the National Hispanic Leadership Award; Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society Award; the Department of Health and Human Services’ Special Recognition Award; and the U.S. Presidential Merit Award.

NCHMD Directors

Name In Office from To
John Ruffin January 2001 Present
This page was last reviewed on June 6, 2008 .
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