Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2023 CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, Sutfinl1@ MDHHS commemorates Minority Health Month by LANSING, Mich. – As part of recognizing April as Minority Health Month, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Office of Equity and Minority Health (OEMH) is launching a series of conversations to gather statewide feedback on newly proposed Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Standards. “Michigan must be a place where everyone can envision their future and access quality, affordable health care that meets their needs,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “During Minority Health Month, we acknowledge health disparities faced by communities of color and recommit ourselves to expanding coverage, lowering costs and ensuring every Michigander – no matter where they live or who they are – gets the medication, treatment and services they deserve. I am proud of the work the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has done to protect and expand access to health care, and I am also grateful to the ongoing work of the Racial Disparities Task Force to face these challenges head on. Let’s keep taking action to reduce disparities and protect the health and safety of every community.” “Minority Health Month is a time to highlight barriers impeding the health disparities and health inequity for racial and ethnic populations,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “When people are provided with culturally and linguistically appropriate information, they are empowered to create healthier outcomes for themselves and their communities.” OEMH will honor its commitment to positively impacting disparities by sponsoring social media and community events throughout the month in partnership with the Regional Health Equity Councils. These efforts will focus on obtaining public input on how to best represent racial and ethnic identities in MDHHS’ data collection, analysis and dissemination efforts. Residents, organizations and businesses are also invited to join OEMH in promoting health literacy in April under the theme of “Better Health Through Better Understanding.” “Far-reaching impact requires that the voices of those most affected be heard and valued,” said Kimberly Reese, director of Race Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office. “To achieve better health outcomes for racial and ethnic populations in Michigan, we must amplify efforts to improve cultural and language literacy for health care systems in marginalized communities.” OEMH was created in 1988 and is the third oldest minority health office in the United States. Since its inception, OEMH has dedicated its efforts to assuring health equity and eliminating health disparities among Michigan’s racial and ethnic populations, including African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Arab and Chaldean Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Hispanics/Latinos. These groups face disproportionate burdens of disease and health outcomes including higher mortality rates and overrepresentation in some chronic illness like diabetes and hypertension due to systemic racism, lack of culturally responsive services and other barriers to adequate and appropriate health care. As part of its efforts to address social determinants of health and other factors that contribute to many racial and ethnic populations experiencing disparate health outcomes, OEMH supports 11 Regional Health Equity councils throughout the state. Through community-driven priority settings, each council tailors its activities on capacity building, community outreach and education. |
MDHHS commemorates Minority Health Month
