Community Engagement Core

Morehouse School Of Medicine, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) vision as detailed in our current Strategic Plan is ?leading the creation and advancement of health equity?. To accomplish this vision, and ultimately health equity, new structures are required. More rapid translation of research discoveries has been facilitated through a ?team-based approach? to address the health of the people and communities. This means bringing biomedical, clinical, and behavioral investigators and others together in Multidisciplinary Translational Teams (MDTT?s) focused on a health disparity that bring to bear their combined expertise to address populations health translating discoveries into practical solutions. MSM RCMI Program has been successful at developing research infrastructure including researchers. This application has been developed to bring the expertise of the RCMI Program Cores, with Community and Clinical researchers and partners to build Multidisciplinary Translational Teams across the T spectrum targeted at more rapid translation of health disparities (e.g., Cancer, Stroke, Infectious Diseases, Cardiometabolic Disease, Reproductive Health) by expanding the baseline research infrastructure established by Morehouse School of Medicine. The primary objectives are to build those teams through research projects targeted at health disparities, and to develop a pipeline of developing research teams at MSM, and to increase the level of involvement of investigators in conducting MDTT research at MSM. The U54 Center for Translational Research in Health Disparities (CTRHD) consists of five Cores (Administrative, Research Infrastructure, Investigation Development, Community Engagement, and Recruitment); Three Research Projects; an evaluation component attached to the Administrative Core, and a Pilot Project Program attached to the Investigator Development Core. With these assets and activities, the CTRHD will accomplish its goal through the following Aims: AIM 1: Transform Our Institution. Build processes and structures facilitating development of competitive multidisciplinary translational teams (MDTTs), allowing MSM to emerge as the preeminent, research-intensive, minority serving academic health center in the nation. AIM 2: Transform the MSM Research Environment. Develop collaborations allowing MSM faculty to do cutting edge translational health disparities research. AIM 3: Transform the Community of Scientists. Promote and accelerate training and mentoring capabilities at MSM, leading to the next generation of leaders in health disparities multidisciplinary translational research. AIM 4. Transform Our Community. Facilitate integration of Basic Research with Community Engagement. Supplement In an effort to examine and decrease COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among the Haitian American immigrant population, and to decrease mental health disparities among underserved youth, our team proposes to culturally adapt, implement, and conduct a preliminary validation of a youth (18-24) led health and mental health education campaign to address COVID-19 related psychosocial stressors. Our central hypothesis is that through participation in this program, young adults become active agents in the development of positive health outcomes for themselves, their families, and community. Participation in HSYACHW will encourage healthy behaviors and better health outcomes, while helping to mitigate the adverse emotional effects of COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy among underserved young adults. Our objective is to utilize social ecological public health theory and Community-based Participatory approach to examine the sociodemographic factors involved in motivating young adults to develop strategies for influencing health outcomes at the individual, family, and community levels. This work also aims to foster the development and sustainability of positive health behaviors among medically underserved youth, their families and communities. This is a RCMI Supplemental project is to adapt and evaluate this approach. The specific aims are: 1) To adapt the High School & Young Adult Community Health Worker Training program for use with young adult refugee and Immigrant populations (ages 18-24) of Haitian descent; 2) To implement and validate the success of the adapted HSYACHW within the target population to vaccine hesitancy and uptake and improved mental health.