Office of Minority Health

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Office of Health Equity

Denver, CO 80246
Project: Colorado State Partnership Program to Improve Minority Health
Amount: $150,000

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Office of Health Equity (OHE) coordinates, educates and builds capacity for state and local public health programs and communities. The Office of Health Equity’s focus has recently been expanded to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations, and disabled and low-socioeconomic -status communities.

Project Abstract

The project is intended to improve service to customers with limited English proficiency across Colorado’s public health system; promote use of social determinants of health data; reduce health disparities as they relate to cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity and overweight; and educate underserved communities regarding the Affordable Care Act and Colorado’s health insurance Marketplace . The project’s target population includes racial and ethnic minorities and linguistically diverse communities; LGBT communities; communities with low socioeconomic status; and individuals and organizations.

The Office Health Equity will provide centralized language services (interpretation and translation), technical assistance and training, education and screening sessions, and data sheets related to the social determinants of health for four chronic illnesses (cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and obesity/overweight). The office will also work with the Cancer Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease Grant Program and the Health Disparities Grant Program to make changes to the RFA and contracts to ensure better saturation and reach for education, screening and referral related to these issues.

The Office of Health Equity hopes to:

• Increase capacity for Department of Public Health and Environment staff to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services
• Increase the capacity for statewide organizations to adopt and implement the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (National CLAS Standards)
• Develop statistical data sheets regarding underserved populations for planning and progress measurement
• Reduce disparities related to cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and obesity/overweight in underserved communities
• Increase knowledge among underserved communities about the Affordable Care Act and Colorado Health Benefits exchange

The office will use the following performance measures:

• Number of requests for centralized language services by Department of Public Health and Environment programs and staff
• A 10 percent increase in use of The National CLAS Standards by statewide organizations
• Number of training and technical assistance requests received
• Number of data sheets developed or distributed for LGBT groups
• Number of screening and/or treatment services to reduce cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and obesity
• Number of train-the-trainer sessions conducted

To collect and assess these measures, the Office of Health Equity will use data collection forms including tracking spreadsheets, participation surveys, qualitative reports and meeting notes.

Objectives

• Increased awareness, education and outreach to address racial/ethnic minority health and health disparities problems
• Improved access to, and appropriate utilization of, health and other community-based services and systems through user-centered design for racial/ethnic minorities
• Strengthened leadership and coordination to leverage resources and enhance effectiveness and efficiency of individual and collective efforts (including, but not limited to, research and data)