April is Minority Health Month! 

In 1989, the Ohio Commission on Minority Health initiated a statewide wellness campaign known as

Minority Health Month.  The 30-day wellness campaign is held in April each year and is designed to:

1. Provide crucial information to support the practice of disease prevention.

2. Promote healthy lifestyles and;

3. To highlight the Resolution of disparate health conditions.

Click Here to view our Statewide Calendar of Events! 

Remember, Good Health Begins With You!

 

 

OCMH Celebrates Black Maternal Health Week!

“Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!” ​In light of the steadily alarming rise of maternal mortality in the U.S., which recent data shows has been exacerbated by the pandemic; and amidst growing cases of clear neglect in care in hospital systems immediately after labor and delivery. Held annually on April 11-17th, BMHW is a week-long campaign founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance​ to build awareness, activism, and community-building​ to amplify ​the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people. The week is intentionally held during National Minority Health Month and begins on April 11th annually to join dozens of global organizations in marking this day as International Day for Maternal Health and Rights – an opportunity to advocate for the elimination of maternal mortality globally. The activities and conversations hosted throughout the week intentionally center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements. ​

For more information about Black Maternal Health Week click here

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OCMH Announces Board Officers:

 

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ohio Commission on Minority Health
January 27, 2023
The Ohio Commission on Minority Health Announces the
Election of New Officers

The Commission on Minority Health relies on the leadership of health experts to advance our mission to eliminate health disparities and achieve health equity.
On January 27, 2023, the Ohio Commission on Minority Health announced the election of new officers to the board of directors.

Chairperson, Electra Paskett, PhD
Vice Chairperson, Celina Cunanan, MSN, APRN-CNM
Secretary, Suresh Sharoff, MD

 

Electra Paskett, PhD currently serves as the Director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at the James Cancer Hospital. She also serves as the Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in the College of Medicine, a professor in the Division of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health and the Associate Director for Population Sciences and Program Leader of the Cancer Control Program in the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Ohio State University (OSU). Dr. Paskett’ s research program is nationally recognized for studying cancer health disparities.

Celina Cunanan, MSN, APRN-CNM currently serves as the Chief Diversity, Equity and Belonging Officer and Division Chief of Nurse Midwifery at University Hospitals’ Cleveland Medical Center where she has worked for over twenty years. Most recently, she served as director of the system's Office of Community Impact, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Co-Chair of its Social Justice and Equity committee. Additionally, she helped lead the development of a new health center for the underserved. She also serves as the Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Nurse-Midwifery Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

 

Suresh Sharoff, MD has over twenty years’ experience in clinical practice and is board certified in allergy & immunology and internal medicine. He regularly participates in continuing medical education to keep up to date with the latest advances in allergy and asthma treatment. Dr. Suresh is involved in Community Health Awareness programs and is interested in educating patients to empower them in managing their conditions as well as increasing awareness of asthma in the community. He also works on staff at Mount Carmel Hospital, Ohio Health System, and Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Executive Director, Angela Dawson stated “I am excited about the new leadership for the Commission as we continue to work collaboratively with state agencies and health systems to seek opportunities to eliminate systemic inequities and improve health outcomes in racial and ethnic populations and achieve health equity in Ohio.”

The Ohio Commission on Minority Health is dedicated to eliminating disparities in minority health through innovative strategies and financial opportunities, public health promotion, legislative action, public policy, and systems change.

Media Contact:
Angela Dawson
Executive Director
Angela.Dawson@mih.ohio.gov
614-466-4000
www.mih.ohio.gov

 

 

 

 

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Our Local Conversations on Minority Health brought together more than 1254 individuals across the State of Ohio.  Discussions were held to prioritize local health disparity needs and to begin the development of an action plan to address those needs.  The individuals who attended represented a wide range of participants from a variety of ethnic communities.  There was representation from government agencies, faith-based and grassroots organizations, media, elected officials, hospitals, MCO's and other health organizations, social service agencies, businesses, education, public transportation, health consumers, cultural organizations, and ethnic health coalitions. Participants from all ethnic groups attended. Topics discussed and health needs identified were vast and covered the lifespan continuum from birth to death.

The Ohio Commission on Minority Health is proud to announce our Round Three Series:

Local Conversations Health Equity: From Input to Action  

Click Here to Join Your Local Conversation!

The Ohio Conference of the NAACP, Ohio Commission on Minority Health and the Ohio Department of Health have prepared this joint statement providing information to lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic minority communities. 

The community spread of COVID-19 is an unfortunate reality. It is important to dispel myths that convey racial and ethnic minorities are less susceptible to COVID-19.  This is simply not true. Access to care can be a challenge for minorities which could result in a greater impact from COVID-19. The response to COVID-19 requires intentional strategies to ensure those who are most vulnerable within racial and ethnic minority populations have access to testing, treatment and critical resources. Racial and ethnic minorities are encouraged to be proactive in their efforts to protect themselves from contracting COVID-19.  It is important to heed the advice of public health leaders and healthcare providers which encourages social distancing and good hygiene practices. On March 15, 2020 the national NAACP hosted an Emergency Tele-Townhall on COVID-19. This national broadcast discussed the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. More information on the Tele-Townhall can be found at https://naacp.org/emergency-coronavirus-tele-town-hall/.  For up-to-date information about the impact of COVID-19 on Ohio please visit  http://coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

The phones are staffed from 9:00am to 8:00pm each day.

Cleveland council committee approves resolution that would declare racism a public health crisis