Building Partnerships Through the Latino/a Research & Policy Center
Eliminating health disparities requires more than open access to care and a commitment to prevention. It requires collaboration capable of addressing the social, economic and educational issues facing disparate communities.
The Colorado School of Public Health is now one step further in tackling these hard and complex issues by announcing a new relationship with the UC Denver Latino/a Research and Policy Center (LPRC). LPRC will now serve as the school’s primary center for research and policy within Colorado’s Latino community.
“LRPC is pleased to formalize its association with Colorado School of Public Health,” commented center Director Christine Johnson, PhD. “Over the last five years, LRPC has been engaged in cancer disparities research that impacts the Latino population. Continued work in health disparities will be a vital component of a broader research and policy agenda for LRPC.”
As a School-wide center, LPRC joins the ranks of programs currently addressing American Indian and Alaskan Native health and global health. The move is yet another sign of the School’s commitment to eliminating health disparities among all communities, cultures and people.
“We are excited on so many levels,” notes Mariana Ledezma, one of the school’s community development coordinators. Ledezma, who works in the school’s Center for Public Health Practice, sees the LRPC addition as a new opportunity for building public health partnerships within Colorado’s Latino community. “And as a Latina,” Ledezma adds, “This is such exciting news, that we will have someone who can take the lead and bring needed attention to these matters.”
That is precisely what Dr. Johnson intends to do. Although under the School’s administrative structure, Johnson is not limiting LPRC’s focus or its potential partnerships. She is building strong ties to UC Denver’s School of Education and Human Development and School of Public Affairs. Moving forward these partnerships will enable LRPC will expand research in the areas of education, criminal justice, and immigration.
Kick starting LRPC’s recent move is the upcoming program “Community Conversations in Challenging Times,” September 30, 2009. The program will feature breakout sessions on criminal justice, education and health. Interested individuals should contact Rachel Otoole at Rachel.Otoole@ucdenver.edu or 303.315.2123.
Visit the Colorado School of Public Health website for more information regarding the school’s mission, vision and commitment to the elimination of health disparities.