Grant Awarded to Develop Health Education in Pittsburgh's Latino Communities
| Date: January 22, 2010 |
Media Contact:
|
Chuck Moran |
| |
|
Pennsylvania Medical Society |
| For Immediate Release |
|
(717) 558-7820 |
(Harrisburg, PA) Plans to develop health education materials based upon issues identified by the Latino Advisory Team at the Consumer Health Coalition of Allegheny County got a boost recently when the Pennsylvania Medical Society in coordination with the Allegheny County Medical Society awarded the organization a $5,000 Grant for Healthy Living in Ethnic Communities.
The grant is designed to assist Pennsylvania-based ethnic organizations in implementing pilot programs that stimulate community action on healthy living in their communities. It is awarded on a yearly basis.
According to James A. Goodyear, MD, president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the state physician’s organization actively looks to partner with community-based organizations addressing health concerns at a local level. “As an advocacy organization championing contributions to improve health care in the commonwealth,” said Dr. Goodyear, “the Pennsylvania Medical Society looks forward to working with the Allegheny County Medical Society and the Community Health Coalition to connect with the local medical community in providing health education tools to Latino patients and families.”
The grant will be presented at the annual meeting of the Allegheny County Medical Society on January 30.
According to the grant application, the Community Health Coalition convened the Latino Advisory Team in March 2009 to identify health and wellness needs in the Latino community as well as identify educational gaps. The advisory team concluded that the most vulnerable segments of the Latino community living in Allegheny County are women and their children as well as young men. Some health issues the advisory team identified include preventive health screenings, work-related injuries, early pregnancy nutrition, mental health care, ear infections in children, and oral health care services.
The patient-doctor relationship has been the priority of the Pennsylvania Medical Society since its founding in 1848. The Medical Society listens to concerns of both patients and doctors to improve the delivery of health care services. Together with the Institute for Good Medicine at the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the organization reaches out to the public through www.myfamilywellness.org.
# # #
Last Updated: 1/22/2010