Health Disparities: Underserved Populations

In President Joe Biden’s June 2021 Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce, he defined the term “underserved communities” as populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, who have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social and civic life. 

This course addresses communities that are underserved by mental and behavioral health resources, people who are underserved when seeking care for a cancer diagnosis and LGBTQ+ individuals who are medically underserved. 

Topics include:

  • Working with Community Members and Organizations: A Promising Approach to Improve Mental Health Services for Underserved Populations
  • Minimizing Racial Disparities in Cancer Care
  • LGBTQ+ Health Disparities

Target Audience

Physicians, residents, fellows, advanced practice registered nurses, nurses, physician associates/physician assistants, dietitians, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, allied health professionals and students.  

Learning Objectives

  • Transform mental health and substance use treatment services in clinical practice to improve patient outcomes.
  • Identify barriers that may hinder providing clinical care across cultures.
  • Provide mental healthcare resources to patients that could help delay physical disability in their aging process. 
  • Assess the significant disparity in the care of cancer patients who are minority in origin in the United States. 
  • Formulate strategies to increase the minority enrollment to clinical trials and bridge this gap of minorities in cancer clinical trials. 
  • Define health disparities and identify several examples of disparities in LGBTQ+ healthcare.
  • Identify contributing factors to disparities in LGBTQ+ healthcare.
  • Implement strategies for reducing disparities in LGBTQ+ healthcare to improve patient outcomes. 
Additional information
Bibliography: 
  • Thomeer, M. B., Moody, M. D., & Yahirun, J. (2023). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health and Mental Health Care During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 10(2), 961–976.
  • Alegría, M., O’Malley, I. S., Smith, R., Useche Rosania, A., Boyd, A., Cuervo-Torello, F., Williams, D. R., & Acevedo-Garcia, D. (2023). Addressing health inequities for children in immigrant families: Psychologists as leaders and links across systems. American Psychologist, 78, 173–185.
  • Suárez-Orozco, C., Motti-Stefanidi, F., Marks, A., & Katsiaficas, D. (2018). An integrative risk and resilience model for understanding the adaptation of immigrant-origin children and youth. American Psychologist, 73, 781–796.
  • Florida Lung Cancer Rates. American Lung Association, 2022. 
  • Regnante, J. M., Richie, N., Fashoyin-Aje, L., Hall, L. L., Highsmith, Q., Turner, K., ... & Chen Jr, M. S. (2020). Operational strategies in US cancer centers of excellence that support the successful accrual of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 17, 100532.
  • Henley, S. J., Anderson, R. N., Thomas, C. C., Massetti, G. M., Peaker, B., & Richardson, L. C. (2017). Invasive cancer incidence, 2004–2013, and deaths, 2006–2015, in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties—United States. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(14), 1.
  • Buchholz, K., & Richter, F. (2023, February 28). Infographic: 7.2 percent of U.S. adults identify as LGBT. Statista Infographics.
  • Billy A. Caceres. Circulation. Assessing and Addressing Cardiovascular Health in LGBTQ Adults: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association, Volume: 142, Issue: 19, Pages: e321-e332.
  • Casey LS, Reisner SL, Findling MG, Blendon RJ, Benson JM, Sayde JM, Miller C. Discrimination in the United States: Experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans. Health Serv Res. 2019 Dec;54 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):1454-1466.
Course Summary
Available credit: 
  • 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 2.00 General certificate of attendance
  • 2.00 Florida Board of Dietitians
  • 2.00 Nurse Practitioners
  • 2.00 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 2.00 Florida Board of Pharmacy
Course opens: 
08/01/2023
Course expires: 
07/31/2025

Margarita Alegria, Ph.D.
Professor, Harvard Medical School
Chief, Disparities Research Unit
Massachusetts General Hospital 
Boston, Massachusetts 

Manmeet Ahluwalia, M.D., MBA
Fernandez Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
Chief of Medical Oncology
Chief Scientific Officer & Deputy Director
Miami Cancer Institute
Baptist Health South Florida
Miami, Florida 

Don Parris, Ph.D., MPH
Assistant Vice President
Center for Advanced Analytics
Baptist Health South Florida 
Miami, Florida 

Margarita Alegria, Ph.D., and Don Parris, Ph.D., MPH, faculty for this educational activity, have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* to disclose, and have indicated that the presentations or discussions will not include off-label or unapproved product usage.

Manmeet Ahluwalia, M.D., MBA, faculty for this activity, is a researcher for AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers, Squibb, Incyte, Merck, Mimivax, Novocure and Pharmacyclics. He is a consultant for Apollomics, Bayer, Caris Life, Sciences, Celularity, GSK, Insightec, Janssen, Kiyatec, Novocure, Prelude, Pyramid Biosciences, SDP Oncology,Tocagen, ViewRay, Voyager Therapeutics, Xoft, Varian Medical Systems and Cairn Therapeutics. He has individual stocks/stock options with Cytodyn, Doctible and Medinnovat. Dr. Ahluwalia has indicated that the presentation or discussion will not include off-label or unapproved product usage.

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for this individual have been mitigated.

Zuanel Diaz, AVP, conference director for this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* to disclose.

Non-faculty contributors and others involved in the planning, development and editing/review of the content have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* to disclose.  

*Ineligible companies – Companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Disclosure Policy and Disclaimer

Baptist Health South Florida is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Baptist Health has been re-surveyed by the ACCME and awarded Commendation for 6 years as a provider of CME for physicians.
              
Baptist Health South Florida designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Available Credit

  • 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 2.00 General certificate of attendance
  • 2.00 Florida Board of Dietitians
  • 2.00 Nurse Practitioners
  • 2.00 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 2.00 Florida Board of Pharmacy
Please login or register for a Baptist Health CME account to take this course.

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