Choose Healthy Life Joins HHS in a Historic Signing to Tackle Health Disparities
Today, Choose Healthy Life (CHL), a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing health disparities through the Black church, had the honor of participating in the historic signing of a national Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with leading organizations and individuals dedicated to serving the Black community by supporting faith-based organizations.
This significant event hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships marks a crucial advancement in addressing health inequities in underserved communities across the nation.
The signing ceremony was part of the "Reimagining Partnerships: Engaging Faith-Based Communities in Philanthropy and Foundations" convening, held in Washington, D.C. The event united leaders from philanthropy, foundations, and faith-based organizations like CHL to explore innovative strategies for collaboration that meet the unique needs of faith-based communities.
CHL's Executive Director, Rev. Kimberly L. Williams, alongside Chief Operating Officer Ron Ticho, Washington, D.C. Clergy Leader Rev. Kendrick Curry, and Medical Advisory Board Member Dr. Reed Tuckson attended the event, underscoring Choose Healthy Life's commitment to this vital cause.
The event highlighted important topics such as identifying shared values and goals between philanthropic entities and faith-based organizations, developing strategies for impactful community engagement, and building sustainable partnerships that drive social change. These organizations will collaborate to address several health disparities in the Black community, including:
Chronic Diseases: African American persons are 30% more likely to have hypertension and 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than their White counterparts.
Maternal Mortality: African American women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women.
COVID-19 Impact: African American individuals have experienced a disproportionately high rate of deaths due to COVID-19.
Mental Health: Black adults in the U.S. are more likely to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress than White adults. Despite this, only one in three African American persons who need mental health care receives it.
Much more.
Choose Healthy Life extends its gratitude to Rev. Dr. Que English, Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the HHS, for her leadership in this initiative and her support of CHL.
As Choose Healthy Life continues to pave the path towards health equity, this partnership represents a significant milestone in our mission to address health disparities through the Black church.
