Office of Minority Health

State Partnership Grant Program to Improve Minority Health

Grantee Information
Minnesota Department of Health
Saint Paul, MN 55164
Project: Addressing African American Infant Mortality and Understanding Health Disparities from a Health Equity Perspective
Amount: $147,087

The Minnesota Department of Health’s Office of Minority and Multicultural Health (OMMH) was established in 1993 with the mission of strengthening the health and wellness of racial/ethnic, cultural and tribal populations in Minnesota by engaging diverse populations in health systems, mutual learning and actions essential for achieving health parity and optimal wellness. OMMH provides overall leadership on health disparities and oversees the statewide Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative (EDHI) and many other disparities-related projects.

Project Abstract

The project builds on the current work of the Office of Minority Health State Partnership grant by implementing recommendations from the Community Voices and Solutions community group to improve health and eliminate infant mortality disparities among African Americans in Minnesota and improving the understanding of health disparities from a health equity perspective. The project intends to address infant mortality disparities among African Americans in Minnesota and other health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities in Minnesota.

The project will build community capacity and action through:

• Expanding partnerships
• Reviewing prospective health equity data sources
• Supporting evidence-based and promising practices
• Conducting annual trainings
• Conducting one-on-one interviews with partners
• Designing an action plan
• Increasing screenings and referrals
• Increasing health equity data knowledge and use
• Engaging in health equity data reporting
• Developing the Minnesota Department of Health’s data capacity
• Promoting the community’s data capacity
• Hosting a health equity forum

Expected outcomes are: healthy women, improved birth outcomes and elimination of health disparities through a health equity approach; and improved documentation of populations of color and American Indian health from a health equity perspective

Performance measures include:

• Expanded partnerships
• Increased knowledge of health equity, maternal/child care models, social determinants of health that contribute to poor birth outcomes among African Americans in Minnesota and FHV models of care
• Increased screening and referral rates for African Americans in the Twin Cities
• Increased advocacy for policy or systems changes that address social determinants of health that contribute to poor birth outcomes among African Americans

The evaluation will consist of a combination of process, outcome and summative evaluation measures. Methods of data collection will be: interviews; surveys; sign-in sheets; summaries of policies, systems, and processes; and review of agency report screenings and referrals.

Objectives

• Increased awareness, education and outreach to address racial/ethnic minority health and health disparities problems
• 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)

Healthy People 2020 objectives toward which the project’s results contribute

· Reduce the rate of fetal and infant deaths

· Reduce low birth weight and very low birth weight

· In addition, the project’s focus on improving health equity data collection, analysis and dissemination is consistent with, and will help achieve Healthy People 2020’s mission of identifying critical research, evaluation, and data collection needs.