Minority Health: FDA OMH Winter Newsletter

Minority Health

A Year in Review and a Look Ahead Happy New Year! The Office of Minority Health hopes that your year is off to a great start. We look forward to engaging our stakeholders in 2018 and beyond with new outreach activities and health promotion campaigns. Our office could not have experienced the successes we've had in educating the public about health disparities without your continued support. In this newsletter, we will revisit some of our highlights from 2017 and we will provide a glimpse of what is in store for the year ahead! In Case You Missed It: New FDA Commissioner On May 11, 2017, Dr. Scott Gottlieb was sworn in as the 23rd Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Dr. Gottlieb is a physician, medical policy expert, and public health advocate who previously served as the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs and before that, as a senior advisor to the FDA Commissioner. He also worked on implementation of the Medicare drug benefit as a senior advisor to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he supported policy work on quality improvement and the agency's coverage process, particularly as it related to new medical technologies. You can learn more about Commissioner Gottlieb by reading his full biography on ourwebsite. New FDA OMH Director In September 2017, CAPT Richardae Araojo became the new Assistant Commissioner for Minority Health and Director of the Office of Minority Health in the Office of the Chief Scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this role, CAPT Araojo provides leadership, oversight, and direction on minority health and health disparity matters for the agency. The Office of Minority Health aims to promote and protect the health of diverse populations through research and communication of regulatory science that addresses health disparities. CAPT Araojo previously served as the Director of the Office of Medical Policy Initiatives (OMPI) in FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation Research (CDER), where she managed the OMPI immediate office and three divisions. You can read the rest of her biography on our website. FDA OMH Guidance Webinar In early 2017, OMH conducted a webinar on the final guidance (an update to a 2005 FDA document) "Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data in Clinical Trials-Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff." The webinar provided an overview of FDA's expectations for and recommendations on the use of a standardized approach for collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data in submissions for clinical trials for FDA regulated medical products conducted in the United States and abroad. In addition, OMH highlighted the importance of inclusion of participants in clinical trials that reflect the populations that will ultimately use these medical products, as well as the need for sponsors to engage and plan at the earliest stages of development for inclusion of underrepresented populations in their studies. The webinar was well-attended with more than 500 participants. Spanish Language Clinical Trials Video OMH launched a new Spanish language public service announcement (PSA) video on clinical trial participation in the spring 2017. The video added to our growing collection of outreach materials, specifically aimed at increasing the number of minority participants in clinical trials. It can be viewed on our FDA Minority Health YouTube Playlist. The video has received more than 80,000 views to date. Rural Health Symposium OMH teamed up with FDA's Office of Health Constituent Affairs and FDA's Center for Tobacco Products to host the agency's first-ever Rural Health Symposium last October. The event provided a forum for the FDA and key stakeholders in rural and tribal communities to discuss ways in which we can work together to address the critical and unique health challenges these communities face relative to the opioid crisis, tobacco use among youth, and telemedicine. You can learn more about this event on our website. Diabetes Town Hall Last November, FDA OMH partnered with HHS OMH to host a half day town hall event on diabetes. The town hall provided an opportunity to have a rich and interactive discussion with panelists and participants who work with minority communities on diabetes education, treatment, and research on co-occurring chronic conditions that often lead to adverse health outcomes in these populations. Twenty panelists discussed diabetes prevention, treatment, and research. Panelists represented FDA, CDC, non-profit organizations, professional associations, and industry. Participants also represented multiple sectors such as academia, non-profit organizations, and professional associations. Winter Coat Drive for Veterans OMH decided to get into the holiday spirit by organizing FDA's first Winter Coat Drive for veterans. Our office joined forces with the FDA Veterans Advocacy Group, and A Wider Circle, a local non-profit organization that provides quality housing and support services to our nation's homeless veterans. The coat drive was a major success with more than 275 new and gently used winter coats being collected during November and December. The coats were distributed to local shelters that serve the veteran community in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. area. What's Next: FDA's 2018 Strategic Policy Roadmap Commissioner Gottlieb released FDA's 2018 Strategic Policy Roadmap, the product of a close collaboration among the Agency's centers. This document provides an overview of some of the key priorities FDA will pursue to advance its public health mission. You can access the Strategic Policy Roadmap on our website and learn about the policies and plans that will be initiated during 2018. Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Minority Health The HHS Advisory Committee on Minority Health will hold a two-day meeting on Monday, March 26, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, March 27, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The topics to be discussed during this meeting will include strategies to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will help eliminate health disparities with an emphasis on serious mental illness. The recommendations will be given to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health. You can learn more about the meeting and how to register here. Save The Date - OMH Minority Health Month Webinar on April 26 Please join us as we celebrate National Minority Health Month with an insightful webinar on health equity featuring Dr. Thomas LaVeist on April 26, 2018 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. Dr. LaVeist is the chairman of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, and he will discuss his research and upcoming projects. Every Try Counts Campaign Cigarette Smoking remains the leading cause of death in the United States, causing 480,000 deaths every single year. FDA's newest public education campaign, "Every Try Counts" is aimed at encouraging cigarette smokers to quit through messages of support that underscore the health benefits of quitting. You can visit FDA's website as well as EveryTryCounts.gov for more information and educational resources.