About the Alliance
The National Health Policy Training Alliance for Communities of Color was created to make clear the link between efforts to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities and the role of health policymaking, as well as to ensure that community leaders have the tools, information, and resources they need to address these issues. This initiative is a unique partnership between Families USA, the Joint Center Health Policy Institute (HPI), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, and the National Medical Association (NMA). It is generously funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States continue to experience major differences in health status, treatment, and outcomes when compared to whites. The forces that contribute to health disparities are complex, ranging from broader societal issues such as poverty, racism, and hazardous environments, to health system factors such as lack of health care coverage, lack of workforce diversity, and a weakening safety net. Oftentimes, when vital health policies and programs are being debated, the voices of communities of color are left out.
The overarching mission of the Alliance is to empower community leaders, elected officials, and journalists from communities of color with pertinent information about health policy developments in order to:
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expand their capacity to address and catalyze action on crucial health and health care issues;
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bolster the skills of leaders from communities of color to play a more influential role in shaping and creating health policies that are of relevance to their respective communities; and
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engage diverse leaders in national health policy development.
To learn more about the Alliance, including to find out about upcoming trainings and events or to sign up for the Alliance email list, visit the Alliance Web site at http://www.healthpolicyalliance.org.
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