Focus Group Discussion of New Colorectal Cancer Screenings

The University of Utah Psychology Department and Huntsman Cancer Institute would like to invite you to participate in a new research study. We are searching for people to be involved in a focus group discussion of new and current colorectal cancer screening tests. We are looking for White, Latino, and Black men and women to participate in the study. You do not need to have any prior knowledge about colorectal cancer or screening options. We are looking for any individual who is between the ages of 50 to 74 years, fluent in English, and who does not have a personal or family history of colon or colorectal cancer. Focus groups will be held at the Salt Lake City Public Library (Downtown) and will last approximately 2 hours. Refreshments will be served. You will be compensated for your time. The purpose of this study is to learn about local adults’ attitudes and opinions toward currently available screening options for colorectal cancer as well as attitudes and opinions about a newly developed screening option.


If you are interested in participating and/or learning more about the study please contact Jennifer Taber by email at (jennifer.taber@psych.utah.edu) or by phone at (801) 587-9022.

Nominate Yourself by Oct. 29 for CMH Advisory Boards

The Utah Department of Health, Center for Multicultural Health (CMH) was recently awarded by the Federal Office of Minority Health with funding to work in three health areas with significant disparities among racial/ethnic minorities. For the next three years, CMH will focus part of its efforts and resources on these three health issues affecting Utah’s minorities today. They are:

- Health Access for Asians, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives

- Birth Outcomes for Blacks/African Americans and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives

-Obesity in Blacks/African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives.

We are looking for your assistance as we move forward. As we share our goals and seek out possible members of our advisory boards, we hope to extend our collaboration and efforts with anyone interested in reducing health disparities among ethnic minorities in Utah. We are looking for people experienced and passionate about any of these three issues. If you are think you might be a good candidate to serve in any of these boards, answer the following questions and send your response to Dulce Díez at ddiez@utah.gov or fax 801-536-0956. Nominate just yourself; if you know other possible candidates, forward this information to them and let them fill out the form. Nomination period ends October 29.

Minority Health Advisory Boards Nomination
Name:
Email:
Phone Number(s):
Agency:
Job title at your current agency:

You are interested in being part of : (indicate all that apply):
o Birth Outcomes in Minorities Advisory Board (Target population: Blacks/African Americans and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives)
o Obesity in Minorities Advisory Board (Target population: Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives)
o Health Access for Minorities Advisory Board (Target population: Asian Americans, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives)

Briefly explain why you are interested in being part of this advisory board. (Maximum 10 lines)

Briefly describe your previous experience in this area. (Maximum 10 lines)

Briefly describe your previous experience working with the target population. (Maximum 10 lines)


Nomination period ends October 29. Selected candidates will be notified no later than November 4.

Questions: Contact Dulce Díez ddiez@utah.gov 801-273-4139

Demographic Profiles of Latino Eligible Voters in Utah

The Pew Research Center has released demographics of Latino Voters in Utah.  See    http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/vote2010/UT-eligible-voter-factsheet.pdf

Utah Latinos Encouraged to Learn Their HIV Status

Ethnic minorities comprise 17% of Utah's population, but made up 25% of those newly diagnosed with HIV or AIDS in 2009. 12.3% of Utah's population is Hispanic, yet in 2009, Hispanics represented 13% of all AIDS cases and 16% of all HIV cases.  NLAAD's theme for 2010 is Save a Life, It May be your Own. Get Tested for HIV .  It speaks to the critical role HIV testing and prevention education play for Hispanic/Latino communities.

  

Please visit: http://www.aidsinfoutah.net/  for a calendar of NLAAD testing events in Utah. 

For more information, contact:

Claudia Gonzalez
Outreach Program Coordinator
(801) 538-6193

Multicultural Breast Cancer Program Seeks Volunteers

Multicultural Breast Cancer Education Program

Join us in our efforts to promote Breast Cancer awareness, prevention and early detection to the refugee and immigrant community living in Utah, by becoming a Volunteer Multicultural Breast Cancer trainer and educator!

Multicultural Breast Cancer Training and What to Expect:
In an effort to educate women about breast cancer, CU is looking for volunteers to interact with the community (Refugee resettlement agencies, Church, College Campus, Health Fairs, etc.) The purpose of this training is to continue educating, informing and empowering refugee/immigrant women about the fight against Breast Cancer by having classes, trainings, workshops, and information about breast cancer.

As part of this training you will:

Learn facts about breast cancer and breast health
Learn risk factors and statistics
Learn how to protect yourself : how to do a self exam, where to go for clinical exam andv mammograms
Receive early prevention information, and resources for early screening and detection
Educate refugee/immigrant women on breast health and breast cancer by providing educational Workshops and info. on early detection and prevention
Be able to assist and increase the access of underserved multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual women to breast cancer health education and screening
Address concerns of refugees and immigrants in relation to the disease
Successfully link the services of various orgs./agencies/clinics to women in the community through a culturally sensitive outreach program
After completion of the training, Volunteer Educators will be able to provide Breast Cancer Workshops and information to immigrant and refugee women at various organizations and events. MBC coordinator Masha Boguslavsky and Volunteer Coordinator Mayra Cedano will provide Volunteer Educators with opportunities for community outreach and education workshops.

All of our workshops are free to the community!

Breast Cancer workshops are designed to provide information about breast self-exam, early diagnosis of breast cancer and breast health issues and risks. These workshops would be of interest to anyone concerned about their breast health and can be offered through groups, organizations or business programs via group seminars, Lunch and Learns, health and safety training or conferences and conventions. Workshops are presented in a relaxed format using breast models for demonstration purposes (Participants do not have to disrobe).

Be a part of a great team that empowers women by becoming a Volunteer Breast Cancer Educator/Trainer!! For more information and questions, please contact Masha Boguslavsky, the Multicultural Breast Cancer Program Coordinator, at masha@cuutah.org; or CU Volunteer Coordinator Mayra Cedano, at mayra@cuutah.org. Or call us at 801-487-4143.

To bring a free workshop to your company, organization, give us a call at 801-487-4143.

Masha Boguslavsky

Multicultural Health Network and Breast Cancer Program Coordinator

Comunidades Unidas/Communities United (CU)

Phone: 801-487-4143

Fax: 801-487-414

www.cuutah.org

1341 S State St. Suite 211, SLC UT 84115

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families
Drawing on research from from newspaper clippings collected over a six year period, Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families reviews a total of 160 cases of domestic violence related homicides in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families. It explores the nature and types of domestic violence homicides as well as patterns in its victims and perpetrators. This report's detailed findings offer a glimpse into the complexity of the problem and its far-reaching effects on women, children, families, and communities.
http://www.apiahf.org/index.php/component/content/article/86-domestic-violence/783-dvhomicidereport.html

State Clinic Seeks Artist

The Health Clinics of Utah (state owned/operated medical and dental clinics) is opening a new location in Salt Lake City. These clinics serve diverse communities across the life span.

For this new location, we are looking to incorporate decor that will reflect an inclusive and friendly atmosphere. One key piece we are hoping to create is a framed collage of diverse images (multicultural, life span, gender, etc). Another area that requires special attention is in the children's area waiting room. We would like a mural of diverse, multicultural images or faces that would be age appropriate and fun, to be painted on the walls of the Children's Waiting Room in the dental clinic. The room is approximately 10 X 14 and the mural will cover the walls from the chair rail upward.

We are seeking assistance from you to connect CMH with a willing artist(s) (professionals or students) who would provide this necessary element to this facility. Funding is limited for such projects however CMH believes that it is very important to have decor that makes everyone feel welcome. Construction and move in is being completed now and ribbon cutting is tentatively scheduled for the first week of December.

This artwork will be located in prominent locations and will be enjoyed for many years to come. Any assistance or feedback you could provide is greatly appreciated. Please contact Christine Espinel 801-273-4137 or cespinel@utah.gov

Thanks in advance for your help.

New Healthcare Page at CMH Website

The Center for Multicultural Health has revamped its healthcare page.
The revised page includes:

• an interactive map linking to local community resources
• directories of medical, dental and mental health providers that specialize in underserved populations
• online applications to health services such as Medicaid and CHIP
• information about health care reform, Utah health care quality and more

See http://health.utah.gov/cmh/healthcareinutah.htm

New Federal $$ Will Help CMH Address Infant Mortality

Utah’s Black/African American and Pacific Islander babies suffer the highest rates of infant mortality in the state and a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant will help the Utah Department of Health, (UDOH) Center for Multicultural Health (CMH) understand why.

Pacific Islander infants under 12 months of age had nearly twice the death rate (8.8 deaths/1,000 births) of infants statewide (4.5 deaths/1,000 births). The rate for Black/African American infants was 8.4 deaths/1,000 births.  Black/African American infants also had the highest rates of low birth weight (11.4%) and preterm birth (13.0%) of all Utah infants. The state rates were 6.8% and 9.7%, respectively.

“In our Black and Pacific Islander populations, we are 20 years behind the rest of the state at preventing infant death ,” said CMH Program Manager Owen Quiñonez. The statewide infant mortality rate hasn’t been over 8 deaths/1,000 births since the 1980s.

The 3-year, $130,000 grant requires that CMH focus on evidence-based interventions addressing no more than three health disparities.  In addition to health concerns surrounding births, CMH will also use the funds for research into issues of obesity and health care access among Utah minority groups, two other disparities that turned up amid a comprehensive study of minority health in Utah.

Regarding obesity, while the majority (59.0%) of all Utah adults are overweight, the  Black/African American rate is 72.4%, Pacific Islander, 78.4%, and Hispanic, 67.3%.

CMH is now seeking expert leaders from public health, health care and community-based organizations to participate on Advisory Boards that will plan and supervise interventions and oversee the selection of community outreach subcontractors.

“Community-based leadership has been crucial to our success so far in reducing health disparities,” said Quiñonez.  “We hope that many of the advocates we have worked with over the past five years will be interested in serving on our new Advisory Boards.  We are also seeking new leaders who are experts in the fields of reproductive health, obesity prevention and health care access.”

Over the past decade, health care access has declined among Utah minorities. Hispanics had the highest uninsured rate in the state at 35.7%, up from 25.8% in 2001. Statewide, 11.1% of Utahns were uninsured. Only 8.8% of Pacific Islanders lacked health insurance in 2001, but 23.0% were uninsured in the recent analysis. Being unable to access needed care was reported by 21.3% of Hispanics and 21.9% of Blacks/African Americans in Utah, in contrast to 15.9% of all Utahns.  All Utah racial and ethnic minority groups had lower rates of receiving early prenatal care than statewide. The state rate was 79.1%; Asians, 75.2%, Blacks/African Americans, 61.2%, Pacific Islanders, 48.1% and Hispanics, 63.4%.

New Utah Health Status Update about Hispanic Health

See http://health.utah.gov/opha/publications/hsu/10Sep_Flu.pdf. The link will be stored on our website at http://health.utah.gov/cmh/data.html#udoh.

New Spanish Language Resources in Multilingual Library

Healthcare.gov explains federal health reform.  Several new guides from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality explain various medical procedures. See http://health.utah.gov/cmh/multilinguallibrary/topic/medical.html