OHE works to reduce health disparities for socially disadvantaged and underserved populations.
This includes:
- African Americans
- Hispanics/Latinos
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
- Rural Health Communities
African Americans
Leading health disparity indicators for African Americans—the second largest minority group in the US—include heart disease, infant mortality, and diabetes.
We address their most prevalent needs by partnering with stakeholders to reduce the burden of health conditions and improve health equity.
Who are our federal partners?
Read the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)'s report:
Chartbook on Health Care for Blacks: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
(PDF - 3 MB)
Hispanics and Latinos
We provide information on culturally competent resources to reduce the burden of health disparities in the Hispanic/Latino population.
Who are our federal partners?
Review NIH's research:
National Institutes of Health (NIH): Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (2006 - 2018)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens are a diverse community. But they share a common need for culturally competent health care that recognizes and responds to specific medical risks.
The LGBT community faces greater health challenges than their heterosexual peers.
This is due to a combination of the following:
- Differences in sexual behavior
- Social and structural inequities (e.g. stigma and discrimination)
How do we address healthcare for the LGBT community?
Primary Care
The National LGBT Health Education Center 
- Supported through a cooperative agreement with The Fenway Institute
- Helps community health centers improve access for LGBT populations.
- Consults with, and develops curricula for, health centers focused on caring for LGBT people
- Fenway Health is a HRSA-supported health center and one of the largest focused on LGBT health.
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS more severely impacts the LGBT community than any other group in the US.
The HIV/AIDS Bureau leads several efforts including:
- Ryan White Program
- Works with cities, states, and local community-based organizations
- Provides HIV-related services to more than half a million people each year
- For those without sufficient health care coverage or financial resources to cope with the disease
- Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program Enhancing Engagement and Retention in Quality HIV Care for Transgender Women of Color
- A multi-site demonstration project
- Funds support organizations that will design, implement, and evaluate innovative interventions
- Goal is to improve timely entry, engagement, and retention in quality HIV care for transgender women of color living with HIV
Access health workforce training and guidance:
- LGBT Training Curricula for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Practitioners
(PDF - 212 KB) - Cultural Competency Curriculum: Nurses' Health Education about LGBT Elders
- Transgender HIV/AIDS Health Services Best Practice Guidelines (PDF - 1.1 MB)
Read reports from our partners:
