Three $50,000 grants awarded for data-driven solutions that encourage practices to decrease inequities in the healthcare system.
March 17, 2023 – Today, The Preparedness and Treatment Equity Coalition (PTEC) is announcing the award of three $50,000 grants to U.S. research teams investigating ways to decrease inequity in the health care system and address the impact of systemic racism on communities of color.
PTEC’s mission is to narrow the disparities in morbidity, and mortality through more effective use of diagnostic tests, vaccines and medicines and supportive care addressing underlying risk factors.
To accomplish this mission, PTEC has awarded grants and data access to multi-disciplinary research teams who are identifying metrics and outcome measures that can be used to encourage practices that decrease inequity in the health care system. The research teams who were awarded this year were tasked to focus on developing solutions for conditions that disproportionally affect Black, Latinx, Asian, and Native American communities. These conditions include cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, vaccine equity, and cancer.
"PTEC is committed to expanding the capacity of community-oriented and multidisciplinary teams to conduct data-driven health equity research. This year's projects reflect the importance of diverse teams in developing interventions to advance health equity and social justice," said Cyrena Gawuga, PhD, MSW, PTEC’s Director of Research.
Three grants totaling $150,000 were awarded to the following research teams and their projects:
Marcella Alsan and Crystal Yang, from Harvard University, will conduct a randomized control trial to test whether mandatory accreditation of health care services within midsize jails will improve the provision of health care services and hypertension-related health outcomes for Black and Latino men.
Ashley Burch, from East Carolina University, will focus on developing patient-informed, culturally tailored interventions to achieve health equity in the treatment of hypertension for low-wage, minority workers in Eastern North Carolina. Burch’s work thus far has identified racial inequity in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, diabetes, and risk of stroke.
Dawn Wiest, from Camden Coalition, Rutgers University, aims to integrate social needs data with social determinants data to improve the care of individuals with cardiovascular disease. The research will include focus groups to solicit “on-the-ground” insight and bring together diverse stakeholders to understand how best to address the intersecting issues of structural racism, social risk, and health.
The grants will support project-related costs and access to services of data partners. More information about PTEC’s mission and programs is available here.
About The Preparedness and Treatment Equity Coalition (PTEC)
The Preparedness and Treatment Equity Coalition (PTEC) brings together multi-sector stakeholders to advance health equity through more effective use of diagnostic tests, medicines, vaccines, and supportive care. The coalition is focused on developing evidence to guide health system delivery and payment reform. Visit the PTEC website to learn more.
Contact: Cyrena Gawuga, PTEC Director of Research, cyrena@ptechealth.org