Nov. 7, 2008 -- The St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands will play host next month to a health care conference focusing on disparities in health care for minority and rural populations.
Friday afternoon, Delegate Donna M. Christensen, who is a medical doctor herself, said that the Dec. 4-6 conference, co-sponsored by the Medical College of South Carolina, is aimed at all medical professionals working with underserved populations, plus individuals, church groups and other organizations that offer care to their communities.
"The purpose of the conference is to showcase how communities can work together," Christensen said.
"Millions of Americans -- primarily racial and ethnic minorities, those who reside in rural areas and residents of the territories -- suffer disproportionate impacts from various diseases and conditions," according to the brochure for the conference. "Because they cannot gain access to affordable, high-quality care, many Americans experience premature death and disproportionate disability from preventable, treatable and manageable causes."
Christensen noted there will be at least a dozen of her congressional colleagues attending as well as executive staff from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, and representatives from the private sector. Locally, many members of the medical community, including university staff and representatives of the V.I. Health Department will attend.

Topics that will be discussed at the conference include deficiencies in such important areas as data gathering.
"Most importantly we will be looking at intervention," said Gloria Callwood, director of the Caribbean Exploratory Research Center (CERC) at UVI. "We have monies to support research done by community persons, where the research will be rigorous and valuable."
Callwood said that proposals for such research would be evaluated rigorously.
"We want to leave there with a policy agenda," Christensen said. "This is timely as we go back to Washington and prepares us to go to our new president with a unified message."
CERC is helping to underwrite the cost with grant monies from the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparity through the NIH. The six-year $6.1 million grant is in its second year.
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation also assisted with funding the conference, Christensen said.
Conference organizers anticipate some 150 attendees, and urge interested parties to register online at the conference website
prior to Nov. 15. The cost is $75. Those interested can also register by phone at 693-1100 and at the conference.
Christensen urged individuals to register online, as attendance is limited. She also noted that breakfast and lunch and two receptions are included in the price for the event.
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