Dorothy I. Height Center for Health Equity & Evaluation Research
Director’s welcome - Welcome to the Dorothy I. Height Center for Health Equity & Evaluation Research (DH-CHEER), the only Congressionally mandated comprehensive health disparities research, education and training center outside of the federal government. DH-CHEER is a collaborative entity between The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Houston.
DH-CHEER’s Purpose:
To bring together the established Congressionally mandated Center for Research on Minority Health (CRMH) at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center together with academic faculty expressing an interest in addressing health and health disparities at the University of Houston and the human resources of Memorial Hermann to develop Houston as a community-based population laboratory in the age of health care reform. The name of the new entity will be the DH-CHEER.
DH-CHEER’s Vision:
The vision is to change the paradigm in how we address health disparities by bringing together theory, basic, behavioral and clinical research, clinical and behavioral applications, community-based participatory research along with health policy, environmental health, city planning, history, social determinants and various other aspects of non-traditional pursuits brought to bear as a unified force.
This vision acknowledges all possible influences that might affect health and quality of life, both positive and negative. It is the understanding that health cannot be addressed as a single issue. It also needs to take into account other factors that influence the perceived need for health care and the attention to health concerns – housing, education, health insurance and general family economics, co-morbidities, other existing diseases/illness, access or lack of access to health care, etc.
DH-CHEER’s Mission:
To progressively reduce and eventually completely eliminate the prevalence of health disparities in ethnic minority and medically underserved populations through feasible community-based innovative and integrated biopyschosocial approaches.
In 1985 at the first meeting to develop the Biennial Symposium Series I made this statement. “Health in minority communities cannot be approached as a single issue. It has to be done in a holistic manner.” It is as true today as it was more than 25 years ago.
News and Events
The 11th annual "Disparities in Health in America Workshop: Working Towards Social Justice" will be held at Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing from June 17-22, 2013. The goal of the six-day workshop is to provide a comprehensive understanding of health disparities, to investigate approaches to enhancing health equity, and to provide participants with a broad base of knowledge related to a bio-psychosocial approach in addressing health disparities in a minority and the medically underserved populations. Upon meeting all requirements, attendees may receive three (3.0) academic credits. Learn more about the workshop.
Fall Health Disparities Course 2013
The annual Fall Health Disparities Course is scheduled to take place between August to December, 2013. Classroom lectures will be held at a to-be-determined university within the Houston area, with telecast to universities belonging to the HDEART consortium. The course is open to anyone but registration is necessary to receive academic credit.
National Minority Cancer Awareness Week
DH-CHEER will host a lectureship in recognition of National Minority Cancer Awareness Week 2013. More information to follow.
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Intercultural Cancer Council's Biennial Symposium Series and the 10th Annual Disparities in Health Summer Workshop
DH-CHEER staff worked with the ICC to coordinate the 12th Biennial Symposium on Minorities, the Medically Underserved, and Health Equity. This international symposium on cancer and minority health marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of the event and was held from June 27 through July 1, 2012 at the Hilton Americas Houston. More information about the the Intercultural Cancer Council's website: www.iccnetwork.org.