Health Disparities Task Force Meeting Minutes
March 15, 2007

Attendance:  Sirad, Abdirahman, Elisabeth Atherly,  Nicole Bennett Engler, Reona Berry, Marva Bohen, Ricardo Busquets,  Dr. Jose William Castellanos , Dr. Abraham Dalu, Mitchell Davis, Jr.  Secorro Felton,DeAnna Finifrock, Carlos Gallego, Dr. Jane Korn, Dr. Megersa Kumbi, Andrea Leinberger-Jabari, Elizabeth  Moe, Makeisha Nesbitt,  Dr. Kola Okuyemi, Dr. Kate Onyeneho, Carin Perkins, Matt Persigehl, Patricia Radabaugh, Gay Lynn Richards,  Patricia Ruiz de Somocurcio, Lisa Stephens, Niccu Tafarrodi, Dai Vu, Anne Willaert, Mary Winnett, Janet Smith Yee. 

1. Introduction and Welcome:

·         Marva announced that Megersa’s position would end on June 30^th.  She thanked him for his hard work and dedication. 

·         The University of Minnesota Cancer Center has named Dr. Doug Yee as the new Cancer Center Director.  He began the position on March 12.  Dr. John Kersey stepped down as Director and plans to continue to work on research in the area of Pediatric Leukemia.

·         Marva introduced Matt Persigehl from the American Cancer Society as the new person taking minutes. 

2. Building Bridges Project: Gay Lynn talked about the Building Bridges project.  Building Bridges, a community-based initiative in St. Cloud, continues to collaborate with healthcare systems, churches and community groups to provide breast and cervical education and screening. Their activities in 2006 included outreach, education and screening to Vietnamese women, including a worksite education program at Stearns Manufacturing during which 22 women were screened and 14 of the 22 were enrolled in SAGE.  They are going to continue to expand worksite projects in 2007.  Gay Lynn said that they are working on more women’s events in the St. Cloud area.  She is working to involve community media and has contact with some local reporters in St. Cloud.  A new project with Somali women, called Halimo’s Aunt will begin soon with cooperation from Minnesota International Health Volunteers.   A second project with Centro Hispano will provide Breast and Cervical Cancer Education and screening to Hispanic women of Stearns County through events in collaboration with Catholic churches in Melrose, Cold Spring and Waite Park. 

      At the June meeting of the Task Force, Gay Lynn will do teleconferencing from Saint
      Cloud with people involved in Bridges Projects.

3. Education of Muslim Women: Niccu along with a graduate student, Aliyah Ali, helped to arrange a focus group with about 20 women, most of whom were Pakistani.  Niccu talked about barriers to Muslim women adjusting to this society and understanding issues like cancer.  The idea of prevention and early detection can be confusing for Muslim women.  She said that many Muslim women in the U.S. came from many different countries, not just one or two countries.  These women are all Muslim but because they are from different countries their background is different. They need and want cancer information in their native language.  She said they want specialists that can describe cancer to them. Then they will be able to go back into the community and explain what they have learned.  The women in this initial focus group expressed interest in cancer education.

4. Cervical Screening Project: Gay Lynn said that the cervical cancer-screening project received a Glaxo Smith Kline grant of 10,000 dollars.  They will use this to update and reproduce 500 breast and cervical outreach flip charts.  The charts have been translated into 5 languages and will be produced in early summer.  The Pastor’s Wives project abstract has been accepted at the American Cancer Society conference, Bridging the Health Care Divide: Research and Programs to Eliminate Cancer Disparities, April 18-20, 2007, in New Orleans, Benita Robinson will go to New Orleans to present the poster.

5. Cervical Vaccine Question: Jose Castellanos indicated that he thought certain populations were being pressured to receive the HPV vaccine.  He thinks that MDH should have a policy about the vaccine regarding who should receive it and payment for the vaccine.  Dr. Korn indicated that there are CDC guidelines, recommending vaccination for girls as young as 11.  There are still issues around payment by both insurance and the state agencies.  Jose suggested that the Health Disparities Task Force would be an agency who could make a recommendation about policy to the state.  This will require continued discussion, since there are varying concerns and no funding for providing the vaccine as a required vaccination for children.  The issue was tabled for the time being.

6. Cancer Navigation: Andrea talked about the Cancer Navigation Project Team.  They are looking at resources and trying to build upon those for cancer navigation.  They are also looking at where improvements can be made.

7. Dialogue for Action-Colorectal Cancer in American Indians in Minnesota:  Marva talked about the planning meeting in February where some new people joined.  They now have representatives from almost every tribe.  September 11^th and 12^th are the dates for the actual Dialogue.  A third planning meeting is scheduled for May 7.  At this meeting the agenda for the Dialogue for Action summit will be set.

8. MCA Summit 2007: Jane talked about the cancer summit this year.  She talked about the new speakers and projects they have going on this year.  Nicole provided program brochures and said they are having an exposition at this year’s summit.  She encouraged everyone to create posters or displays.  She is hoping that everyone at the meeting will be able to create something that can be displayed.  Poster  board materials are available at the ACS office.

9. Screening Initiative: Makeisha talked about the St. Paul screening initiative meeting coming up, on March 22.  Pam White who did a SEE, TEST and TREAT at North Point will talk about the process.    Makeisha would like to cover the screenable types of cancers.  She said she is currently in the process of getting people together for the meeting.

10. Minnesota Outreach Coalition: Elisabeth Atherly talked about the Minnesota Outreach Coalition (MOC).  They have a new chair, Cathy Carlos from Stratis Health, but are looking for a co-chair.  They want to expand beyond breast and cervical cancer as topics.  She is hoping within the next few months to have a to develop a coordinated and accurate message about cervical cancer and HPV that will be something the outreach workers can easily use.

11. Announcements:  African American Breast Cancer Alliance is looking for community partners.  A project for breast cancer as it relates to deaf women is being worked on.  Ricardo said that there are now more programs for Latino men to get screened for prostate cancer.  Ricardo said there is a LGFB program through the American Cancer Society specifically for Latino women.  It is at Centro and the cosmetologist will speak Spanish.  Kate said that the African Cancer project is ongoing and they are training 10 people right now.  Anyone who wants to come see the training is welcome to.

12. Thank You: Marva thanked everyone for coming to the meeting and thanked those that participated in the discussion today.