HAMPTON, Va., Jan. 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health disparities continue to place avoidable expenditures on healthcare organizations, employers, communities, and government agencies. As part of its mission, SelfMade Health Network – a member of the consortium of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded national networks established to address cancer and tobacco-related disparities with a focus on vulnerable populations, has launched a new website. "We understand the causes of health disparities are multifactorial, encompassing relevant factors including access to care, affordability of comprehensive health insurance and tobacco cessation coverage, disease-related factors, neighborhood or residential factors, fear of cancer diagnosis associated care costs, poverty and income levels, employment status, as well as literacy, patient and provider factors. As we continue to work toward reducing health disparities as reported in the landmark Heckler Report (developed by the Department of Health and Human Services), we are enthusiastic about joining others and creating a paradigm shift in tobacco cessation and cancer-related outcomes to conquer inequities, especially among our nation's most underserved and low-resourced populations," Director of SelfMade Health Network, Dwana "Dee" Calhoun, M.S. says. The newly developed website, www.selfmadehealth.org , provides network members with current information, resources and promising practice models needed to improve the health of vulnerable populations nationwide. The website serves as one of SelfMade Health Network's dissemination platforms providing a vast array of webinars and other tools developed through an equity lens for use among organizations, agencies, employers, academic institutions, healthcare delivery systems, and other major stakeholders throughout rural, metropolitan, and frontier regions nationwide to address health disparity gaps. "Our hope is that our new website will serve as a catalyst for regional and local community transformation cultivated by the adoption of innovative and evidence-based approaches aimed at reducing late-stage cancers and tobacco use among vulnerable communities specifically those with low socioeconomic status characteristics. We view these populations as valuable members of society and hope the new SelfMade Health Network website becomes an essential resource for associations, networks, employers, agencies, policymakers, academic institutions, nonprofits, community-based organizations and faith-based organizations, as well as other stakeholders whose objectives are to make meaningful, geographically relevant and sustainable impact. These initiatives coupled with existing communication about current outcome-driven models and projects are designed to advance equitable access to and utilization of evidence-based resources for populations considered at a higher risk for tobacco use, as well as lung, colorectal, breast and cervical cancers," Calhoun says. The new SelfMade Health Network website features infographics, projects, toolkits, ongoing webinars, upcoming events, press releases and future funding opportunities for various sectors to address reducing health disparities. Organizations and associations are invited to join and learn more about becoming a network member or join the newsletter list to keep abreast of updates and newly released resources, throughout the year. The website is available in languages Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Tagalog. SelfMade Health Network is a national network of dedicated organizations, businesses, service agencies, academic institutions and communities seeking to conquer tobacco-related health disparities and expand the promotion of cancer prevention, screening, treatment and survivorship in vulnerable populations. It is our mission to educate, empower and mobilize regions, networks, communities and systems leading to a healthier world, workforce and generation free of preventable lung, colorectal and breast cancers. For more information, please visit www.selfmadehealth.org or follow us Twitter at @SelfMadeHealth. Individuals and organizations interested in joining SelfMade Health Network or subscribing to its communications may email us at info@selfmadehealth.org .
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Dwana "Dee" Calhoun, MS, Director (757) 509-0227
