Press Release: Joint Center Health Policy Institute to Be Honored by Congressional Black Caucus

Joint Center Health Policy Institute to Be Honored by Congressional Black Caucus for Leadership on Health Equity Issues

WASHINGTON—The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute, will be recognized with the 2009 CBC Spring Health Braintrust Leadership in Advocacy Award on Tuesday, April 28, at a Congressional Black Caucus Awards Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington.

HPI and its Vice President, Brian D. Smedley, Ph.D., will be honored for the Institute’s work aimed at improving health care access for all citizens and for “helping shape policy agendas toward eliminating health disparities,” according to Congresswoman Donna M. Christensen (D-VI), chair of the CBC Health Braintrust.

“You have continued to pioneer innovative strategies to center equity in state and federal health policy discussions and have always stood firm on elevating racial and ethnic health inequality onto the forefront of our nation’s political and social agendas,” Congresswoman Christensen said. HPI’s work and recommendations “will continue to be a vital source to impacting the changes that need to be made within our health care system.”

"We are deeply honored and humbled to accept this award from the Congressional Black Caucus and Congresswoman Donna Christensen,” said Dr. Smedley. “Now more than ever, we need to ensure that people of color have the opportunity to live healthy lives.  To do this, the Joint Center Health Policy Institute seeks to put the focus on equity in today's conversations about health care reform, and to point to evidence-based solutions.  We're extremely grateful that the CBC has chosen to recognize us for this work."

The awards luncheon is part of the CBC’s Spring Health Braintrust, co-sponsored by the National Minority Quality Forum. The Braintrust also will include a series of panel discussions on health equity issues. HPI’s Place Matters project will be the focus during a session called “Community Centric Health Equity Efforts: A Spotlight on Place Matters,” scheduled for 11 a.m on April 28. Dr. Smedley will moderate a panel discussion by Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission, Greg Hodge, a board member for the Oakland Unified School District and Michele A. Tingling-Clemmons of the Washington, DC Department of Health.

HPI’s mission is to ignite a Fair Health movement that gives people of color the inalienable right to equal opportunity for healthy lives.

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The Joint Center is one of the nation's premier research and public policy institutions and the only one whose work focuses primarily on issues of particular concern to African Americans and other people of color.

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