People living in minority and low-income communities often have shorter life spans than the average American, and are more likely to suffer from disease at a young age. This weekend, physicians and community leaders will work together to find ways to help all of Nashville’s neighborhoods stay healthy.
The Nashville Community Health Disparities Summit 2 will focus on metabolic disorders, HIV/AIDS, alcohol abuse, and injury prevention. Dr. Paul Juarez directs Meharry Medical College’s EXPORT Center for Health Disparities. He says people in poor neighborhoods often don’t know enough about preventing those conditions, in part because they rarely go to a doctor.
“A lot of the research that’s going on, it’s not accessible to low income patients who don’t have health insurance or aren’t able to take time off to come to the clinics, participate in trials and things like that, so a lot of what we’re looking at are ways that we can help patients, or people who live in the community, develop healthier lifestyles.
Juarez says one goal of the summit is to help grassroots organizations disseminate basic medical information. For instance, church and community groups can educate their members about ways to adapt traditional diets, or identify safe places to walk for exercise-two simple but effective lifestyle changes which can help prevent metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
Juarez anticipates nearly 400 people will attend the event. The summit begins Sunday on the Meharry campus.
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