FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2013

Contact: Communications Office
(850) 245-4111

TALLAHASSEE—The Florida Department of Health (DOH) celebrates April as National Minority Health Month in the continuing effort to promote health equity across Florida. To improve the health status of minority populations, the 107th Congress in 2002 established an annual National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month, which now occurs every April. This year's theme, Advance Health Equity Now: Uniting Our Communities to Improve Health Outcomes, is a call for unified action in our state.

"Our goal for better health extends to every Floridian," stated State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong. "We are committed to achieving health equity for Florida families in every community through more effective partnerships and community-based solutions."

The Florida Office of Minority Health, in collaboration with DOH program offices and county health departments, has planned a month long series of activities that will focus on the advancement of health equity.

"We at DOH embrace this month long observance as an opportunity to highlight the importance of achieving health equity in our state," said Mike Mason, Director of DOH's Office of Minority Health. "Through a statewide Kick-Off webinar, a presentation on ‘Ethnic Diversity and Cultural Competency in Cancer Care,', and a Health Equity Summit hosted by the Volusia County Health Department, we plan to educate Floridians about health disparities in our state and the ways we can attempt to eliminate them."

The Office of Minority Health's primary responsibility is to improve health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority communities by developing or advancing policies, programs, and practices that address social, economic, environmental, and other factors which impact health. The office supports minority groups and educates the public through various initiatives, including the "Closing the Gap" program which stimulates broad-based participation between local governments, community groups and private sector health care organizations. Other initiatives include Black History Month, Minority Health Month, Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day, and the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

The Department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.