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Health disparities are inequities in the health of different groups of people that may lead to needless pain, suffering, and premature death. The Yale-Howard Partnership Center on Reducing Health Disparities by Self and Family Management is a part of a federally-funded initiative to foster the development of partnerships among researchers, faculty, and students at minority-serving institutions and research-intensive institutions. The goal of the initiative is to maximize the resources available to each of the partnering institutions. The purpose of this paper is to describe the models of research collaboration that have emerged from the Yale-Howard Partnership Center on Reducing Health Disparities by Self and Family Management.The United States (US) health care delivery system is among the most advanced in the world, with outstanding providers, facilities, and technology. Many Americans receive high quality health care and enjoy easy access to care. However, not all Americans have full access to high quality health care. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) define health disparities as "differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups" in the US (http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/HealthDisparities/TransWorkGroup.htm). Health disparities are inequities in the health of different groups of Americans. These inequities are the result of a combination of factors involving the health care system, access to care, as well as the history of the US, which includes many instances of the oppression and maltreatment of vulnerable populations. 1Corresponding author: Coretta M. Jenerette, PhD, RN, Yale University School of Nursing, 100 Church Street South, New Haven, CT 06536, Business telephone: 203-737-2640, Home telephone: 203-937-6579, Fax number: 203-785-3554, E-mail address: coretta.jenerette@yale.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Genesis of Partnership Centers: National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)Nursing is a multifaceted profession composed of individuals who can influence health disparities via direct patient care, the conduct and utilization of research, and public health advocacy. 5 In 2002, the NINR invited applications to establish nursing partnership centers to reduce health disparities. The purpose of this initiative was to foster the development of partnerships among researchers, faculty, and students at minority-serving institutions and research-intensive institutions. The goal was to maximize the resources ...

Background. Findings from previous studies on an association between obesity and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening are inconsistent and very few studies have utilized national level databases in the United States (US). Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2005 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey to describe CRC screening rate by obesity status. Results. Of a 15,769 Medicare beneficiaries sample aged 50 years and older reflecting 39 million Medicare beneficiaries in the United States, 25% were classified as obese, consisting of 22.4% “obese” (30 ≤ body mass index (BMI) < 35) and 3.1% “morbidly obese” (BMI ≥ 35) beneficiaries. Almost 38% of the beneficiaries had a body mass index level equivalent to overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30). Of the study population, 65.3% reported having CRC screening (fecal occult blood testing or colonoscopy). Medicare beneficiaries classified as “obese” had greater odds of CRC screening compared to “nonobese” beneficiaries after controlling for other covariates (ORadj = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.12–1.39). Conclusions. Findings indicate that obesity was not a barrier but rather an assisting factor to CRC screening among Medicare beneficiaries. Future studies are needed to evaluate physicians' ordering of screening tests compared to screening claims among Medicare beneficiaries to better understand patterns of patients' and doctors' adherence to national CRC screening guidelines.

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