National Minority Health Association
About Us
About NMHA
The National Minority Health Association (NMHA), is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization founded in 1988 by Dr. David L. Dalton, Chairman and CEO of UNIVEC Conglomerate Inc. (UNVC). The organization achieved its initial mission of ensuring the establishment of Offices of Minority Health in all 50 states. Today the NMHA is deploying Operation Healthy You™ (OHY), a program that identifies areas of healthcare disparity and works with healthcare providers and community resources to address identified needs. The program is intended to lower the long-term overall cost of healthcare and improve outcomes for minority and underserved communities.
NMHA History
The NMHA, launched in 1988, and incorporated as a 501c3 not-for--profit organization in Pennsylvania, by Dr. David L. Dalton, was founded and established to address the appropriate prescribing of medications to minorities and to provide accurate information related to diseases that affect minority communities. To accomplish this, the organization sought and realized the establishment of Offices of Minority Health in all 50 states.
Founding directors included Dr. Dalton, Fred Foard, and Gail Davis. Leroy Robinson, (deceased) served as its initial Executive Director. Having accomplished its initial mission, the organization seeks to now fulfill its next mission of helping to close the disparity gap in minority health care. It hopes to accomplish this mission through a unique program developed by the NMHA under the name Operation Healthy You™.
NMHA Mission
"Helping to close the disparity gap in minority health and care."
WHO WE ARE
National Minority Health Association
While COVID19 has been devastating in so many ways for so many communities, it has impacted minority communities disproportionately. Numerous factors play a role including limited access, lack of utilization due to related costs for needed services such as insurance, childcare, transportation, and the list goes on.
Certain occupations also put minorities at greater risk than the population at large. Minorities and disadvantaged people comprise much of the “essential” employee pool. With jobs such as home health aides, assisted living facility workers, fast food workers, delivery, retail, and other service industries there are higher concentrations of minority workers. While healthcare disparities did not start with COVID19, the pandemic has focused a spotlight on them for the world to see.
Addressing these disparities will significantly lessen the gap between the quality of health care provided to minority and underserved communities.
72%
African Americans
72% more likely to contract diabetes
50%
Native American men
50% more likely to die from Prostate Cancer
21.5%
Hispanics have diabetes
40%
Asian Americans are 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic white Americans
NMHA Guiding Principles
At the National Minority Health Association (NMHA), we seek to have all organizations A.C.T. on the minority healthcare disparity by adopting, through their actions, the following guiding principles: Acknowledge – Create – Transform.
Acknowledge that, even in the wealthiest of countries worldwide, there are significant disparities, biases, stereotypes, and inequalities in the healthcare of minority communities. These disparities often lead to less than optimal outcomes.
Create pathways for equity in healthcare and provide a means for change.
Transform the healthcare system to be more equitable, inclusive, less costly, and more accessible.
The aims of our Guiding Principles are to…
Inform our stakeholders of the severity of the issue and invite them to join us in the fight for health equity and closing the healthcare disparity gap.
Be inclusive in our approach and communications.
Implement change by being the change.
Incorporate diversity (it’s just good business).
Interact & communicate with diverse populations so they get our message.
Provide pathways for individuals to understand and take personal action for better healthcare and outcomes.
Include the objective of personal health as a key element any success plan.
Manage the organization to do everything we can to close the disparity gap that impacts minority populations.
Make healthcare equitable and better for all.stuff
NMHA Ecosystems
10 areas of focus where health plays a role.
Each of the ten NMHA areas of focus is a complete, self-contained ecosystem. Each area represents a NMHA view of social determinant of health (SDoH) that we are addressing.
OUR OFFICE
9722 Groffs Mill Drive, Suite 116
Owings Mills, MD 21117
833-367-6642 (833-FOR-NMHA)
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