Good health, access to quality healthcare, and resources necessary for healthy living are not equally available to everyone in Louisiana. Overall, the state is ranked near the bottom among all states in terms of health. Groups of minorities, poor and rural people across the state face even further barriers to health and well-being. To work towards closing health disparity gaps, LSU is bringing together the sharpest minds in health, medicine, and well-being on May 3 to work together at a conference titled, A Stark Divide: Addressing Health Disparities in Louisiana.
“Louisiana is first in tobacco use in the nation, and we’re high in HIV infection and colon cancer rates. Obesity, diabetes—Louisiana is often ranked 49th or 50th in the nation. We can certainly do better,” said LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Joel Baines, who is one of the organizers leading the conference. “This conference is meant to attract the sharpest minds to the health disparities problem overall.”
Presentations will be given by researchers and practitioners from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Louisiana Department of Health, the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative, LSU, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, University of Houston-Downtown, and a local physical therapist, who is promoting the development of a wellness center in Memorial Stadium at the junction of North and South Baton Rouge.
