Morehouse School of Medicine Partners with the City of East Point, Georgia to Advance Health Equity Through Policy
Health experts, policy makers, and community organizations partner to address policies that perpetuate health disparities.
ATLANTA – FEBRUARY 8, 2022 – Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) was selected by the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health to lead a project focused on advancing health equity through collaborative policy efforts. MSM was chosen as one of six demonstration projects across the U.S. and the only site in Georgia to participate in the Framework to Address Health Disparities Through Collaborative Policy Efforts program. MSM will receive an award of up to three years and up to $1.1 million. For this project, MSM will work with the City of East Point (COEP), the Partnership for Southern Equity, Food Well Alliance, Voices for Georgia’s Children, MLP Communications, and other partners to identify and address policies that may create or perpetuate health disparities.
“This project will shed light on the impact that laws and public policies have on health inequities,” said Megan Douglas, Director of Research and Policy at the Morehouse School of Medicine National Center for Primary Care. “Morehouse School of Medicine’s mission is to lead the creation and advancement of health equity, and laws are critical interventions that can improve the health and social conditions of communities.”
The Advancing Health Equity in the City of East Point project will focus on policies related to housing, food access, and land use/environmental justice. Successful completion of the program will lead to improved health outcomes and reduced health disparities for COEP residents and provide evidence for addressing structural racism and health disparities through collaborative policy efforts.
“The City of East Point is committed to dismantling systemic health inequities,” said East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham. “This invaluable partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine will amplify our ongoing efforts to address social determinants of health and environmental justice while positioning East Point to be a national leader in the fight for equity.”
Read the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health press release here.
About Morehouse School of Medicine
Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists, and public health professionals. An independent and private historically-Black medical school, MSM was recognized by the Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation’s number one medical school in fulfilling a social mission—the creation and advancement of health equity. MSM faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research, and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care. MSM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctoral and master’s degrees. To learn more about programs and donate today, please visit www.msm.edu or call 404-752-1500.
Contact
Amanda Magdalenski
Morehouse School of Medicine
404-752-1782
amagdalenski@msm.edu
Shannon Wiggins
City of East Point
404-270-7126
swiggins@eastpointcity.org