This Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in North Carolina Report Card 2006 is a useful tool that will show at a glance leading health indicators for broad racial and ethnic population groups for North Carolina, supporting data for those health indicators, and a letter grade that ranks the health status of those groups. This report card is put together to inform and help guide those with the will to eliminate health disparities. The Report Card is a tool that: measures the health disparity gap and helps monitor the state’s progress towards eliminating that health status gap between racial and ethnic minorities and the White population. (The first report card for 2003 was a starting point to look at racial and ethnic disparities in health.) provides current data that can be used by community based organizations, faith based organizations, tribal governments and communities, local health departments, state agencies and organizations, clans, legislators, and local businesses to help guide and make plans for efforts to provide services and outreach that will help those specific groups and communities with health status gaps. can be used to inform key decision makers on eliminating health disparities through policy reform and systems change. The health status ranking of North Carolina in the nation is closely tied to the health status of minorities and other underserved population groups. Although data are presented by race and ethnicity to describe the health status gaps, race/ethnicity by itself is not a cause of a health condition or health status.