About CDC's Office of Minority Health
& Health Equity (OMHHE)

Minority Health Determines the Health of the Nation

CDC's Office of Minority Health & Health Equity (OMHHE) Guiding Principle:
Increasing CDC's Impact on Health Equity
The future health of the nation will be determined to a large extent by how effectively we work with communities to eliminate health disparities among those populations experiencing a disproportionate burden of disease, disability, and death.
Persistent health disparities in our country are unacceptable and correctable.
OMHHE Fact Sheet

1-page summary of OMHHE's mission, goals, structure, & more.

New Name & Organizational Re-Alignment

Recent legislation requires the establishment of an Office of Minority Health within the Office of the Director at six US Department of Health and Human Services agencies - including CDC - with the head of each office reporting directly to the head of each agency.

Although CDC has had an Office of Minority Health in place for over 20 years (formerly the Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities or OMHD), in order to comply with all provisions of the new statute, CDC organizationally re-aligned and re-named it's office: Office of Minority Health & Health Equity (OMHHE).

HHS approved all six of these minority health offices in April 2011. See HHS OMH for a listing of the six minority health offices

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Mission

The Office of Minority Health and Health Equity aims to accelerate CDC’s health impact in the U.S population and to eliminate health disparities for vulnerable populations as defined by race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, geography, gender, age, disability status, risk status related to sex and gender, and among other populations identified as at-risk for health disparities. View the Mission Logic Model

Compelling evidence that race & ethnicity correleate with persistent, and often increasing, health disparitites among US populations demands National attention.

OMHHE's Priority Goals Include the Following:

Reframe eliminating health disparities as achievable.
Facilitate the implementation of policies across CDC that promote the elimination of health disparities.
Assure implementation of proven strategies across CDC programs that reduce health disparities in communities of highest risk.
Advance the science and practice of health equity.
Collaborate with national and global partners to promote the reduction of health inequalities.

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Key Functions & Responsibilities

In Carrying out its mission, OMHHE:

Monitors and reports on the health status of vulnerable populations and the effectiveness of health protection programs.

Initiates strategic partnerships with governmental, non-governmental, national, and regional organizations.

Provides leadership for CDC-wide policies, strategies, action planning and evaluation to eliminate health disparities.

Supports partnerships to advance science, practice, and workforce for eliminating health disparities.

Provides decision support to CDC executives in allocating resources to programs of surveillance, research, intervention, and evaluation.

Coordinates CDC’s response to White House Executive Orders and HHS health disparity initiatives.

OMHHE Critical Objectives

Science as the foundation for policies and programs targeting health disparities.
Health disparity focus in establishing & implementing agency policies, programs and research.
Synergy, collaboration, and strategic management of public health investments targeting health disparities.
Participation in the conduct and use of public health research to solve community wide health problems.
The benefits of global health protection, especially among immigrants and border populations.
A verifiable commitment to operational efficiency, program effectiveness, and accountability for public resources.

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OMHHE's Role on CDC Committees

Advisory Committee to the Director / Health Disparities Subcommittee
CDC/ATSDR Minority Initiatives Coordinating Committee (CAMICC)
Diversity Executive Steering Committee
Public Health Ethics Committee (PHEC)
Excellence in Science Committee (EISC)

US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Activities

HHS Health Disparities Council
White House Minority Health Initiatives
HHS OMH / OPHS Strategic Plan to Reduce Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities
Intradepartmental Council on Native American Affairs

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Racial & Ethnic Minority
Populations

Other Populations by High Burden of Morbidity & Mortality

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OMHHE Director Announced by Dr. Frieden

Dr. Frieden Announced New OMHHE Director,
Dr. Leandris Liburd

I am pleased to announce my selection of Leandris Liburd, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A., as director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE), effective January 31, 2011.

I thank Tami Kicera for serving as acting director of OMHHE since October 2010. During that time she helped assure connections across the agency and with partners and colleagues in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She will return to her duties as deputy director of OMHHE.

Leandris is a respected leader with many years of experience addressing community health, health disparities, and social determinants of health. She has held a variety of leadership positions at CDC since joining the agency in 1987. Most recently, Leandris served as the chief of the Community Health and Equity Branch in the Division of Adult and Community Health in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, where she directed a broad range of public health programs, including REACH U.S., one of CDC’s flagship health disparities reduction initiatives. In her new capacity, she will provide agency leadership, direction, and accountability for CDC’s policies and programs to ensure they are optimally effective in improving minority health and achieving health equity. Leandris will serve as the agency lead in coordinating CDC engagement with HHS, other federal agencies, national organizations, and the public on issues of health equity.

Please join me in thanking Tami and welcoming Leandris to this important position.

Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, CDC, and
Administrator, ATSDR

OMHHE Leadership

See OMHHE's Leadership Page for profiles on OMHHE's Director and Deputy Director,
a detailed Staff Listing, Organizational Structure and Charts, as well as a History of the Office of Minority Health at CDC.

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