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
.