Surgeon General to Discuss Health Disparities

Photo Submitted

Dr. Joe Thompson

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Dr. Joe Thompson, Arkansas surgeon general, will give a keynote address titled “The Nuts and Bolts of Arkansas Health Care: Crafting a New System” at the 2013 Arkansas Health Disparities Conference sponsored by the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas.

The annual conference will be April 19 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Springdale. G. David Gearhart, chancellor of the University of Arkansas, will give a welcome. Cost is $139 for professionals, $50 for community members and $35 for students and includes lunch and snacks. Registration may be done online.

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.”

“Too many Arkansans lack sufficient access to the care they need to improve health because of financial and geographic barriers,” Thompson said. “Through a well-coordinated, team-based approach to patient-centered care, attention to developing a health work force to meet future needs, the accelerated use of health information technology, and expanded health insurance coverage, disparities can be greatly reduced.”

Thompson will discuss the Arkansas Health System Improvement Initiative the state has undertaken at the direction of Gov. Mike Beebe. With widespread collaboration among both the public and private sectors, the initiative seeks to improve the overall health of Arkansans, enhance the patient experience of care, and reduce or control the cost of care, Thompson said. It aims to reduce the barriers to care experienced by those whose earnings do not provide for affordable health-care coverage and to those who live in medically underserved areas of the state.

The conference is designed to create an interactive forum that integrates community-based knowledge and multidisciplinary research-based findings with creative partnerships that improve quality of life and eliminate health disparities. The theme this year is “Living Well Through Individual and Community Initiatives.” Three educational tracks are offered: policy and implementation, health promotion in communities, and underserved populations.

An afternoon roundtable discussion on “Confronting the Realities of Health Disparities: Political Action in a Divided Legislature” will be led by Rep. Greg Leding and Sen. Uvalde Lindsey, both Democrats from Fayetteville, with representatives of the Northwest Arkansas black and Latino caucuses.

Topics and speakers in concurrent presentations include:

• “Functional Mobility and Disability: Current Issues,” Robert Rose, Washington Regional Hospice.
• “Partners and Inclusive Communities,” Julie Petty, Partners for Inclusive Communities; Sherry Priestaf, Sources for Community Independent Living Services.
• “Implications for Service Provision,” Keith Vire, Arkansas Support Network.
• “Resiliency Among African-American High School Youth,” Ari Greenleaf, assistant professor of counselor education, University of Arkansas.
• “Innovative Technology and Communication,” a representative of the Clinton School of Public Service.