September 10, 2007
University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies Receives Major Federal Grant to Address Hispanic Health Issues
Coral Gables, FL - The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies has received a $7 million, five year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These funds will support the creation of a National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) University of Miami Center of Excellence for Hispanic Health Disparities Research (hereafter known as El Centro).
“El Centro will promote research investigations targeted toward health issues that disproportionately affect Hispanics.” said Nilda P. Peragallo, DrPH, RN, FAAN, dean of the school and the grant’s principal investigator. “Few scientific studies have considered how factors such as culture or ethnicity impact differences that exist in the incidence, prevalence, and burden of specific diseases evidenced by specific populations,” said Peragallo.
“As the demographics of our nation continue to shift, so too will the frequency and severity of culturally-influenced health problems,” Peragallo noted. “El Centro seeks to change this and improve the health and lifespan of all Hispanics, the largest and fastest growing minority group in the U.S.”
One of 16 such centers nationwide to be established with NIH funding, El Centro will promote research to develop culturally-tailored interventions focused on health conditions that disproportionately affect Hispanics, including substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, family and intimate partner violence, and co-occurring mental health conditions. The project advances the goals of Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health (November 2000), an initiative of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that aims to improve the nation’s health and eliminate health disparities.
In addition to promoting research by senior investigators, El Centro will promote the work of young scientists in an effort to mentor the next generation of health disparities researchers. Researchers at El Centro will also collaborate with scientists from the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.
“This outstanding grant epitomizes the unique opportunity of scientists in Miami to validate diagnostic tools and treatment strategies across communities within one city,” said Pascal Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School of Medicine. “Some health disorders are particularly prominent for people of Hispanic background because of increased susceptibility or because of lack of response to therapeutics developed for other communities. The inspiration of Dean Peragallo and her team was to take advantage of Miami’s strategic opportunity and bring NIH resources to allow the School of Nursing and Health Studies, in collaboration with the Miller School of Medicine, to advance the science and improve the care of Hispanic communities.”
“The University of Miami is a national leader in the effort to address health disparities,” said Donna E. Shalala, President of the University of Miami. “Through the pioneering work of El Centro, the Miami Institute for Medical Discovery and Health Disparities, the Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity, the medical school’s participation in the NIH Hispanic Community Health Study, and other notable efforts, the University of Miami is addressing key issues such as health equity and access to care that are fundamental to all of us.”
“As the population of our country continues to diversify,” observes Dean Peragallo, “the dream of equality deserves to be realized in every aspect of each citizen’s life, including general health quality and length of life. El Centro ultimately seeks to eliminate the health disparities that exist between different segments of the population.”
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Established in 1948 as South Florida’s first collegiate nursing program, the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami has a distinguished tradition of preparing nurses to provide compassionate, quality care to local, national and international communities. Nursing students at the undergraduate and graduate levels are educated by renowned scholars and exposed to a broad range of clinical experiences and cutting-edge research. In February 2005, the School expanded its program offerings to include the University of Miami’s Health Science program and changed its name to the School of Nursing and Health Studies. The expanded curriculum includes programs leading to the BSN, MSN, and PhD degrees as well as the BS in Health Science degree.
Media Contact:
Barbara Gutierrez
bgutierrez@miami.edu
305-284-5500
