Since the 2013 - 2014 academic year, the NSU Center of Excellence in Minority Health Disparities has been a critical element of a "...collaborative effort with universities and health care providers that would make significant advances and contributions to easing the health burden for underserved populations." Led by Dr. Cynthia Burwell, Professor and Director, the Center has supported faculty and staff initiatives across campus with a focus on community engagement.
The Center is located in the School of Education, Department of Health, Physical Education & Exercise Science.
Spotlight One
The NSU Center of Excellence in Minority Health Disparities received the 2018 Healthy Churches - 2020 Best Practice Award at the National Healthy Churches Conference. The conference was sponsored by The Balm in Gilead Inc., which works to build and strengthen the capacity of African-American faith communities in the United States and communities in the United Republic of Tanzania to deliver programs and services that contribute to the elimination of health disparities.
The Center was selected because of its partnership, health outreach and services to African-American faith communities in the region through the Healthy Churches Coalition of Hampton Roads.
Spotlight Two
(copied from the full story)
"Norfolk State University is part of a $1.18 million grant to study the mistrust of COVID-19 guidance among underserved and vulnerable communities. The NSU Center of Excellence for Minority Health Disparities will work with the Eastern Virginia Medical School and Hampton University who are the co-principal investigators."
"The grant is part of the National Institutes of Health Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program. It aims to support projects designed to rapidly implement COVID-19 testing strategies in populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic. These groups include African Americans, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Latinos/Latinas, Native Hawaiians, older adults, pregnant women and those who are homeless or incarcerated."
" 'The NSU Center of Excellence for Minority Health Disparities is already embedded in the community,' says Dr. Cynthia Burwell, professor and center director. 'This is yet another opportunity for the Center to participate in a collaborative effort against a pandemic that has disproportionately affected the African American community.' "
"Since the start of the pandemic, Burwell has worked to educate the community about COVID-19 through the Center’s long-standing relationship with the Healthy Churches Coalition of Hampton Roads and the Governor’s COVID-19 Health Equity Workgroup."