The 2009 Summit was a continuation of our efforts to develop a national strategy and to move toward common language, from health disparities to health equity. Results of the summit will become part of the National Blueprint for Action, which will guide OMH and its public and private partners. Together, experts, practitioners, leaders, stakeholders, and partners from both private and public sectors will begin to construct strategies and actions, shape policies, and foster the next generation of leaders to continue our mission.

As part of OMH's broader initiative to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities, this 2009 Summit's objectives and tracks were:

• Track 1: Increase Awareness of Health Disparities
• Track 2: Strengthen Leadership at All Levels
• Track 3: Enhance Patient-Provider Communication
• Track 4: Improve Cultural and Linguistic Competency in Delivering Health Services
• Track 5: Coordinate and Utilize Research and Outcome Evaluations More Effectively

To reach these objectives, the summit sought to:

1. Build a renewed sense of leadership and partnerships across communities
2. Share success stories and methods
3. Demonstrate how model programs can be replicated or tailored for greater impact, and
4. Create methods, tactics, and ideas that support more effective and efficient action

We hope you will join us as we take action to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health!

The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Since its founding in 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving improvement throughout the health care system, helping to elevate the issue of health care quality to the top of the national agenda.

NCQA has helped to build consensus around important health care quality issues by working with large employers, policymakers, doctors, patients and health plans to decide what's important, how to measure it, and how to promote improvement. That consensus is invaluable - transforming our health care system requires the collective will and resources of all these constituencies and more.

The Office of Minority Health was pleased to work with NCQA as its co-sponsor of the Third National Leadership Summit on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health, and as a partner in achieving health equity for all.