Overview

Equality in Health

Despite Colorado's generally positive health status, more than a quarter of the state's population – comprising Latinos, African-Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – is disproportionately affected by disease, disability and death. According to the Institute of Medicine's 2002 groundbreaking report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, "although myriad sources contribute to these disparities, some evidence suggests that a trend in bias, prejudice and stereotyping on the part of health care providers may contribute to differences in care."

The Colorado Trust's Equality in Health initiative seeks to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities in Colorado. Through this initiative, 26 nonprofit organizations and educational institutions are building their capacity and skills to provide culturally effective health education and health care services.

Grantees are addressing a variety of needs – from culturally competent health care, school-based health, and mental and dental health care to stronger translation and interpretation programs to help improve services for diverse populations. Several grantees have developed a curriculum to educate and train students how to be culturally sensitive clinicians and hiring diverse staff members who reflect the communities they serve.

Additionally, The Trust is a founding member and supporter of the Academy for Health Equity, a national forum by which to utilize scientific research, policy development and community advocacy to eliminate health disparities and create a social movement designed to ensure equal opportunity for health. The Academy's inaugural conference – Building Capacity to Eliminate Health Disparities – was held in Denver, June 26-27, 2008.

Evaluation
Community Science is conducting an independent evaluation to determine whether the cultural competency of grantees changes over time and to identify the conditions that should be in place to bring about positive changes in organizational capacity to serve diverse populations.
Kien Lee, PhD, Principal Associate, Community Science, 301-519-0722, ext. 102
Nancy Csuti, DrPH, Director of Research, Evaluation & Strategic Learning, The Colorado Trust, 303-837-1200

Coordinating Agency
The Partnership for Families and Children serves as the statewide coordinating agency for this initiative, providing day-to-day management and technical assistance to each grantee in the areas of cultural competency, program development and program implementation.
Erica Baruch, Senior Project Coordinator, Equality in Health Initiative, The Partnership for Families and Children, 303-837-8466

Grantees

  • Asian Pacific Development Center
  • Boys & Girls Club of Craig
  • Clayton Family Futures
  • Colorado Community Health Network
  • Denver Indian Family Resource Center
  • Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency Program
  • Full Circle Inter-Generational Project, Inc.
  • Inner City Health Center
  • Jefferson Center for Mental Health
  • Kids in Need of Dentistry
  • Marillac Clinic
  • Metro Community Provider Network
  • Montrose County School District RE-1J
  • Prowers Medical Center
  • Rural Communities Resource Center
  • Second Wind Fund of Metro Denver, Inc.
  • Summit Community Care Clinic
  • Telluride Foundation
  • The Center for African American Health
  • The Children's Hospital
  • Total Oral Prevention Strategies
  • University of Colorado School of Medicine
  • Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments
  • Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc.
  • Western Colorado AIDS Project
  • Women’s Resource Center

Learn more about each grantee.

Counties
This is a statewide initiative.

GRANT TIMEFRAME: 2005-2012
GRANT AMOUNT: $13,100,000
CONTACT: CHRIS ARMIJO