Regional Conversations, hosted by the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH), are designed to address one of the most pressing issues today – the disparity in health care for
minority populations.
The existence of health disparities among minority populations is undisputed. The question that confronts us is: What actions can be taken by private and public
partners that would improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our collective efforts?
The regional conversations bring together local, state, Tribal, regional and federal experts and practitioners from the private and public sectors to lay the foundation for a
comprehensive, community-driven, sustained approach across the nation.
These meetings are designed to:
- Identify and acknowledge the social, economic, cultural, and behavioral underlying factors and contributors that cause health disparities,
- Examine the intersection of health disparities, health care access, health care programs, and services as causes,
- Identify programs that successfully serve the needs of minority populations within communities,
- Critically examine the role of policy, and both intended and unintended consequences on minority populations,
- Determine “best ways” to address critical gaps among populations and specific diseases, and
- Identify solutions, methods, and programs that will address these gaps, improve the effectiveness of existing programs, and more efficiently apply resources.
The goals for these broad-based, open discussions were to:
- Build a renewed sense of teamwork across communities,
- Share success stories and methods for getting improved results,
- Demonstrate how model programs can be replicated or tailored for greater impact,
- Create methods, tactics, and ideas that support more effective and efficient action,
- Improving existing programs, identifying future priority activities, as well as establishing or strengthening inter- and intra-state partnerships,
- Establish accountability and ownership for action at the regional level and
- Enhance communication channels.
Pre-Meeting Activities. Before the first conversation in each region, there was:
- A Tribal Consultation Session with leaders representing Tribes within the regional cluster,
- A Community Roundtable with local leaders to identify community-level priorities and community-inspired solutions and
- An Academic Alliance Roundtable to explore opportunities for partnerships among leading university, college, and research centers that could advance the translation of
research findings into practice.
Invitations are extended based on OMH consultations with various sources. Some 40 – 45 percent will be community-based representatives. Multiple sources for both organization
and individual names are being solicited from state health and minority health officials, OMH partnering organizations and OMH grantees. OMH strives to achieve balanced
representation.
Prior to the meeting, participants were asked to review state health plans and other materials posted to the NPA Web site.
Meeting format. Reports from the Community Roundtable, Academic Alliance and Tribal Consultation meetings were shared with the general plenary session on the
first day.
The meeting consisted of 2.5 days of facilitated breakout sessions. Participants are assigned to breakout groups. Participants in each break-out session were representative
across population, state, diseases, category, etc., to the extent possible. Breakout groups had no more than 35 participants.
Facilitators guided participants through specific topics, explaining the purpose of each session and how information would be used in the final deliverable of the Regional
Blueprint.
Note-takers used data collection sheets to gather information, which were shared with participants in each group. General plenary session topics and speakers were aligned to
provide information or "inspiration" throughout the meeting.
A nightly debriefing was conducted with facilitators and note-takers to ensure that additional topics, or concerns of participants, were addressed methodically throughout the
meeting and to ensure consistency in approach.
Post Meeting Follow Up. Each of the groups had the opportunity to review and comment on results/documents of primary sections of the Regional Blueprint.
Additional groups will be encouraged to review and comment.
Regional Blueprint. The meetings result in development, dissemination and implementation of strategic objectives and tactical recommendations known as the
Regional Blueprint. We intend to communicate the Blueprint and to provide a structure for continuing discussions through:
- Sustainable, action-oriented teams of experts, advocacy groups, community program leaders, coalition groups and the media that will collaborate to ensure timely, accurate
and effective communications about regional healthcare issues by reducing cultural and linguistic barriers,
- Regional collaborations among researchers, policy-makers, communities, and service delivery systems to examine and shape policies and
- Proactive support of local and regional workshops, programs, health and significant cultural events and evaluation/communication outreach activities that address the needs
of minority populations as they relate to health disparities.
2009 Minority Health Summit. Regional Conversations will culminated in the 2009 Minority Health Summit sponsored by OMH. Each meeting included a combination
of plenary and breakout sessions intended to build a renewed sense of teamwork across communities, shared success stories and methods, demonstrated how model programs can be
replicated or tailored for greater impact and created methods, tactics and ideas that support more effective and efficient action. Results of the Summit will become part of the
National Blueprint for Action.
Regional Conversations occurred between October 2007 and December 2008.
The Regional Conversations are by invitation only.
