Volume I | January 2021
Member Spotlight
Achievements

Congratulations to Neil Lewis Jr., PhD for winning the Early Career Award from the Society for Personality & Social Psychology's Attitudes and Social Influence division. This award recognizes researchers and scholars for outstanding contributions within the early stages of their career.
Center Highlights
Community Engagement and Advocacy Core

Community Health Improvement Plan Analysis Project (CHIP)
The Community Health Improvement Plan Analysis Project is an Ithaca-based initiative led by Cornell Cooperative Extension that aggregates the identified health equity related needs and correlated evidence-based interventions that are being implemented by local health departments and their partners in every county in NYS. Cornell Center for Health Equity Undergraduate Student Chapter members will produce an executive summary of needs and interventions along with county-specific reports which will be presented to Cooperative Extension Executive Directors and CCHEq members. The intention here is to explore the potential for such work to foster cross-county and county-campus funding proposals and other partnerships between faculty and community-based organizations. Students will further contribute to this effort by producing summaries of the literature around key interventions that will be of use to community stakeholders in planning grant proposals and operationalizing similar interventions. This project is made possible through an Engaged Opportunity Grant from the Office of Engagement Initiatives at Cornell. Project Leads: Adam Hughes, MPH, Lara Parrilla, MPH and Chris Kai-Jones, PhD.

Social Determinants of Health Equity (SDOH)
In many medical settings, patients' health-related social and contextual needs – transportation, housing stability, food security, literacy – can be better identified and responded to. Cornell's Master of Public Health Program, Cayuga Health Partners (CHP), and the Cayuga Primary Care Internal Medicine (Cayuga Medical Center's residency program clinic) have partnered to mentor CCHEq Undergraduate Student Chapter members and Master of Public Health students as they develop, pilot, and evaluate a Social Determinants screening and referral tool. The aim is to expand this strategy to all primary care practices in the CHP's network, with the ultimate goal of reducing health disparities by bringing attention to these needs and providing referrals that can assist patients.

Under the guidance of this project's community and academic partners, the students have developed six different posters to raise awareness of the social determinants of health, a brochure for patients with relevant community resources, and a screening tool. In 2021, the screening tool, referral system, and communication materials will be pilot tested, monitored, and evaluated. Cayuga Health Partners will also work with the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County to integrate 2-1-1's community services database into CHP's data warehouse to power a patient-centered online resource directory for self-referrals. CHP also aims to onboard a small group of community-based organizations onto their new patient referral platform. Project Lead: Lara Parrilla, MPH

Research Training and Mentoring Core

Over the past year, we’ve heard from many of our members about the need for resources and mentorship opportunities to support the writing of successful NIH grant proposals that use social science methods to address research questions related to the promotion of health equity. Sponsored by the Cornell Center for Social Sciences (CCSS) and developed and run in collaboration with the Cornell Population Center (CPC), we have put together an exciting program. The program will be formally announced next week, but given the short notification period, we wanted to give you a sneak peek, with the hope that you might consider putting this on your agenda for the spring and beyond.

The program will have three components – a workshop series, pilot grants, and a grant development fellowship.

The workshop series will involve four 1-hour-long sessions (starting February 10th from 1:30-2:30 pm and running through early April) in which participants will work toward developing a well-considered Specific Aims page. While each session will be open to the Cornell community, we will select (via a competitive application) up to 15 participants who will attend/view each workshop, complete short “homework” assignments for each session, and draft a Specific Aims page.

From there, these 15 participants will be eligible to apply for one of two additional tracks in the late spring – a pilot grant program (with resources available for preliminary data collection or other research development costs) and a larger grant development fellowship program (with a larger amount of resources to support grant writing + additional resources to support efforts from a mentor; those on this track will be expected to submit an R01, R21 or K application within the next 12 months).

CCSS will be announcing the program next week with more details, but we wanted to get this on your radar as soon as we could. In addition to providing more information about the program next week, we will also hold a couple of information sessions in the coming weeks to answer questions you may have. We will notify you with those details as soon as they are available.

We hope that you are as excited about this program as we are, and invite you to stay tuned for an official announcement with more details next week.
Education Core

Diversity Center of Excellence
We kicked off the New Year on January 6, 2020 with a health equity focused Cornell University intersession course part of Practicing Health Equity: Theory & Fieldwork led by Dr. Sam Beck. In partnership with the Cornell Center for Health Equity, we were able to award two students from underrepresented in medicine (URM) backgrounds with an award to cover the tuition cost. Prior to COVID 19, we were able to host three programs part of the Diversity Pre-Medical Diversity Initiatives, led by Dr. Andrea Card: a simulation lab program for Fordham and Cornell University students; hosting and participating in the Cornell Arts & Science Career Connections Healthcare Team Career event for undergraduate students; and presenting and tabling at the annual Black Biomedical and Technical Association (BBMTA) conference at Cornell University. In addition, we hosted a seminar on January 24 to introduce medical students to the Patient-Centered Care and Health Equity Area of Concentration and its affiliated faculty. The last in-person Diversity Mentoring Cascade event was entitled “Confronting Bias in Medicine,” which was held on February 4 and attended by over 50 WCM faculty, fellows, residents, and medical students.

We reconfigured many our events focused on health equity education for pre-medical students, medical students and trainees, and faculty to a virtual format. By hosting events through zoom in spring of 2020, we were able to increase health equity related program from 16 in Spring 2019 to 31 in Spring 2020 and early Summer of 2020. In 2020, the Diversity Pre-Medical Initiatives, led by Dr. Andrea Card, hosted 19 events for college students and recent graduates of the 6 linkage schools (Cornell University, City College, Columbia University, Fordham University, Hunter College, and St. John’s University). We were able to provide support and resources to several pipeline programs aimed at increasing racial and ethnic representation in medicine. A few of the programs include Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP), Black and Latino Men in Medicine (BLMiM)’s Science and Leadership in Medicine (SLiM) program, and Big Red Stem Day.
In May 2020, the Diversity Center of Excellence received a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support increased health professions workforce training with a focus on telehealth and distance learning capabilities in response to COVID-19. This award is funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020. After a call for proposals, six WCM faculty were identified and many include residents and medical students as part of their research team.

Our faculty development initiatives for 2020 include the growth of the Faculty Development Circles. Several of these faculty in Circles Cohort One have succeeded in their academic promotions process. Circles Cohort Two began on February 27, 2020 with 12 junior faculty from URM backgrounds who were joined by Circles Cohort One and Dean Choi, Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. In 2020, both tracks of the Scholars in Health Equity program continued with new cohorts. Four WCM faculty were selected for the Research track which supports the development and refinement of novel and innovative ideas into fundable research projects in health or healthcare disparities. The Education track led by Dr. Erica Phillips has 6 WCM teaching faculty who will meet monthly from November 2020 to November 2021 in order to improve the integration of training in health equity and cultural competence across the entire spectrum of medical education at Weill Cornell Medicine.
In the fall of 2020, our newest team member Diversity Programs Associate Lawrence Onyekwere worked with Dr. Andrea Card, faculty lead of the Pre-Medical Diversity Initiatives, to coordinate a robust programming series for college students at each of the linkage schools. A networking event for Cornell University pre-medical students was hosted on October 1 which was attended by 30 students. Our second event for Cornell students was held on November 18 and was a presentation entitled “Setting & achieving your goals on the journey to becoming a physician” led by Dr. Elizabeth Kagan Arleo (Radiology). Additional networking events and presentations part of the Dialogues in Health series were held for the additional partner schools. With a shift to a virtual programming schedule were able to reach 330 premedical students.
In fall 2020, we were able to expand the Diversity Mentoring Cascade program to WCM PhD students. The first virtual session was held on October 6 and attended by 73 participants. The second session on November 10 began with a presentation by Dr. Susana Morales entitled “Personal Journeys: Dimensions of self and reliance” which was had 60 participants.

For Spring 2021, we will host the annual Graduate Medical Education (GME) Diversity Welcome Back on January 23 with 6 WCM-NewYork Presbyterian residency programs, where we introduce resident applicants to WCM’s efforts to advance health equity across disciplines and campuses. We are also looking forward to hosting the Diversity Health Equity Pre-Medical Conference on January 30 and launching a new pipeline program for college pre-medical students from February to March called Careers in Medicine Enhancement Program (CMEP).

CCHEq members interested in volunteering as a mentor to pre-medical students can email dcoe-premed@med.cornell.edu for upcoming dates. For questions on any of our programs email dat4004@med.cornell.edu.
Upcoming Events & Funding Opportunities
Weill Cornell Medicine 2021 Health Equity Pre-Medical Conference 
January 30, 2021 | 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM


Network with Weill Cornell medical students, residents, and physicians. Workshops will focus on health equity, navigating the path to medical school, financing a medical education, mentoring, physicians as advocates, careers in research and so much more.

For the registration click here.
Save the Date:
2021 Health Disparities Research Institute


The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) will host the Health Disparities Research Institute (HDRI) virtually August 9-13, 2021. Applications will be accepted from February 1 - March 8, 2021! HDRI aims to support the research career development of promising early-career minority health and health disparities research scientists, and to stimulate research in disciplines supported by health disparities science.

The program will feature:

  • Lectures on minority health and health disparities research
  • Mock grant review
  • Seminars and small group discussions

Institute participants will also have the opportunity to engage in sessions with NIH scientific staff involved in health disparities research across the various NIH Institutes and Centers.

Please note that applications will only be accepted from extramural scientists who meet NIH’s Early Stage Investigator (ESI) eligibility criteria. NIH and HHS staff, including persons in fellowships/training at NIH or an HHS agency, are not eligible to apply.

Visit the HDRI webpage to learn more about the target audience, eligibility, selection criteria, and how to apply.

For questions or more information, email HDRI@nih.gov
Health Equity Seminar Series

The Cornell Center for Health Equity (CCHEq) is committed to the pursuit of health equity. We host a series of Health Equity Seminars on the first Friday of the month. Sessions are broadcasted via webinar for remote attendees. These colloquia are intended for center members to share their work on various equity focused and social justice issues as well as obtain multidisciplinary input on works in progress. Recordings of seminars are now accessible on the Cornell Center for Health Equity website.

February 5, 2021 | 12:30PM - 1:30 PM

Topic:
"5 interlocking injustices, 6 crises: How to get our beleaguered nation to unity"

Abstract of Presentation:
Rev William Barber has defined 5 interlocking injustices that have produced our current troubles, which President Biden grouped into 6 crises. This talk will address the current moment and propose some of the tasks that lie ahead as we try to get our beleaguered nation back on track.

Speaker:
Mindy Thompson Fullilove, MD, LFAPA, HON AIA
Professor Of Urban Policy And Health
Milano School Of Policy, Management And Environment
Public & Urban Policy Program

Understanding and Eliminating
Minority Health Disparities
February 9, 2021 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Topic:
"Community-engaged Strategies to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Mitigate Health Disparities in Minority Populations"

Description:
There is stark, though incomplete, evidence of racial and ethnic inequalities in the toll of COVID-19 on New Yorkers. COVID-19 fatality rates for Black and Hispanic New Yorkers are more than double those for white residents, with even greater disparities outside New York City. The rates of hospitalization, test-confirmed COVID-19
diagnosis and exposure in New York City also reveal substantial racial and ethnic disparities.

Further, estimates based on the available data suggest important differences
in the way these disparities manifest from groups at different stages of the disease — from exposure to death or recovery.

To register for the event and seminar series, click here.
Funding Opportunities
Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline: March 26, 2021

Application Deadline: April 1, 2021

Application Deadline: April 2, 2021

Application Deadline: April 9, 2021
Join Us in the Pursuit of Health Equity
Become a Member

The Cornell Center for Health Equity is delighted to announce that it has reached 190 Center members. Complete the membership application to become a member today!