MINORITY HEALTH

House Bill 4588

Sponsor: Rep. Michael Murphy

Committee: Health Policy

Complete to 5-7-01

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4588 AS INTRODUCED 4-17-01

The bill would add a new section to the Public Health Code to require the Department of Community Health to take a number of actions regarding minority health. The bill would require the department to do all of the following:

· Develop and implement a state structure more conducive to addressing the health disparities of the minority population in this state;

· Monitor minority health progress;

· Establish minority health policy;

· Fund minority health programs, research, and other initiatives;

· Provide, through interdepartmental coordination, (a) the data and technical assistance needs of local minority health coalitions and (b) measurable minority health objectives to local minority health coalitions for the development of health intervention programs;

· Establish a state health data center for minority health research and resource information addressing (a) research within minority populations; (b) a resource database that could be distributed to local organizations interested in minority health; (c) racial and ethnic specific databases including, but not limited to, morbidity, diagnostic groups, social and economic groups, education, and population; and (d) attitude, knowledge, and belief information;

· Staff a minority health hotline that established linkages with other health and social service hotlines and local coalitions;

· Develop and implement an aggressive recruitment and retention program to increase the number of minorities in the health and social services professions;

· Develop and implement an awareness program that would increase the knowledge of health and social service providers to the special needs of minorities;

· Develop and implement culturally and linguistically appropriate health promotion and disease prevention programs that would emphasize avoiding the health risk factors for conditions affecting minorities and incorporate an accessible, affordable, and acceptable early detection and intervention component;

· Provide the state support necessary to ensure the continued development of the existing minority health coalitions and to develop coalitions in other areas targeted for minority health intervention;

· Appoint a state funded coordinator for each of the counties with existing minority health coalitions to provide community planning and needs assessment assistance to the coalition and to assist the coalition in the development of the local minority health intervention plan through the year 2008;

· Appoint and assign regional consultants to serve as a liaison between the department and the local minority health coalition to (a) coordinate the department resources needed for the development of local minority health coalitions; (b) provide assistance to and monitor the regional consultants in the development of local intervention plans; (c) serve as the barometer to the department on the minority health concerns of local minority health coalitions; (d) assist in coordinating minority input on state health policies and programs; (e) serve as the linkage between the department and local minority health coordinators; and (f) monitor the progress of their compliance with these requirements;

· Provide funding, within the limits of appropriations, to support preventative health, education, and treatment programs in minority communities that were developed, planned, and evaluated by approved organizations; and

· Provide assistance to local communities to obtain funding for the development of a health care delivery system to meet the needs, gaps, and barriers identified in local minority health intervention plans developed under the bill.

MCL 333.2227

Analyst: S. Ekstrom

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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.