The Veterans Health Administration’s Promotion of Health Equity for Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Abstract

The Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) Health Services Research and Development Service( HSRD) is proud to collaborate with the Journal to publish this special edition highlighting the Third Annual National Minority Health Leadership Summit. The summit, held in Pittsburgh, Pa, in January 2003, was titled “Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: The Role of Community- Based Participatory Research.” It was organized by the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and was cosponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (Region III) and the VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion. During a special VA panel session at the summit, we described the VA’s comprehensive response to the national initiative to eliminate disparities in health and health care among racial and ethnic minorities. The audience, a diverse group of health professionals, public health workers, and community service providers, was largely unaware of the leading role the VA has played in promoting equality in health and health care among these traditionally underserved populations.