Information Offered on Helping People with Disabilities, Aging and Diverse Populations

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Three educational tracks are being offered at the 2011 Arkansas Health Disparities Conference in addition to morning and afternoon keynote speakers. The conference's theme is advancing the health of vulnerable populations in Arkansas.

The College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Migrant Education office are sponsoring the daylong conference April 15 at the University of Arkansas Global Campus Building on the Fayetteville square. Cost and registration information are available on the Global Campus website.

Health practitioners, health educators, students, researchers, social workers, policymakers and interested community members are encouraged to attend.

The conference offers compelling insights into the serious issues associated with health disparities in the state. According to the federal Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act, a health disparity population exists “if there is a significant disparity in the overall rate of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality or survival rates in the population as compared to the health status of the general population.”

"As part of Arkansas' Minority Health Month activities, this conference provides an opportunity to celebrate what Arkansas is doing to learn about and confront disparities in health care delivery among its diverse populations,” according to Jules Beck, clinical assistant professor of workforce development in the College of Education and Health Professions and conference co-chair.

Dr. Thomas Bruce, a physician and educator who has served in several capacities as a faculty member and administrator within the University of Arkansas System, will focus on "Social Determinants of Health in Arkansas" during the morning keynote address. From 1974 to 1985, he was dean of the College of Medicine, with a commitment to improve access to health care in the most rural parts of Arkansas. From 2000 to 2002, he served as the inaugural dean of the College of Public Health, creating a partnership approach that linked the University of Arkansas with the Arkansas Department of Health and communities across the state to promote citizen-based health improvement. Beginning in January 2003, he joined efforts to open the university’s new Clinton School of Public Service, first as dean pro tem, then until July 2007 as associate dean for academic affairs. He now serves as emeritus professor in each of the three schools: medicine, public health and public service.

Dr. Justin Hunt, a Little Rock psychiatrist, will give the afternoon keynote address. He will talk about "Understanding the Connection Between Race and Beliefs About Mental Health." Hunt will compare mental illness beliefs of four racial groups (Asian Americans, Native Americans, African Americans and Hispanics) with those of whites in a primary care sample of anxious subjects. He will also compare beliefs of the primary care sample with those of a national community sample. His research helps practitioners learn about community-based participatory research and how it can target racial and ethnic disparities in mental health.

Sessions are planned for each of the three educational tracks:

• Aging populations: "Dementia, Past, Present and Future" by Dr. Pham H. Liem, associate chief of staff for geriatrics and extended care service at the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Service, and "Home Caregiving: Strategies for Health Professionals and Home Caregivers" by Valerie Alsbrook, R.N., a caregiver training specialist with the Schmieding Center.

• Minority populations: "Report to the Community on Tobacco and Related Health Issues" by Jules Beck, University of Arkansas clinical assistant professor of workforce development, and Deanna Perez Williams, coordinator of the Migrant Education Program in the Boston Mountain Educational Cooperative.

• Disability populations: "An Examination of Cross-Disability Discrimination" by Brent Williams, University of Arkansas associate professor of rehabilitation education; "Coping with Visual Impairments in a Technological World" by Jane Klein, disabilities consultant with See the Light; and "The Delta Vitamin Obesity Prevention Study" by Anna Williams and Carolyn Wise, researchers at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson.

The conference has been approved for five contact hours by the Arkansas Office for Long Term Care and has been submitted for approval of continuing education credit to the Arkansas Nurses Association and the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy.