About NCHEC
Overview
Founder & Purpose
Founder: Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
Purpose: Illuminate health disparities research in North Carolina and explore opportunities for collaboration among researchers, funders and community organizations.
Why Health Disparity Research Matters
Most of the current health disparities literature fails to account for the fact that the nation is largely segregated, leaving racial groups exposed to different health risks and with variable access to health services based on where they live. Policies aimed solely at health behavior change, biological differences among racial groups, or increased access to health care are limited in their ability to close racial disparities in health. A more effective policy approach would be to address the differing resources of neighborhoods and improve the underlying conditions of health for all.
Benefits for Health Disparity Research
Expanding on the directive included in the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000, NCHEC provides North Carolina agencies with an opportunity to work collaboratively to ensure health disparities research is conducted as an integrated and inclusive field of study, rather than as an aggregate of independent research activities occurring in separate research domains.
- Explore the complexity of health disparities elimination and identify new or improved solutions.
- Coordinate between local, state, and federal agencies to support research that will lead to the elimination of health disparities.
- Disseminate innovative research to inform and enhance services in key public health areas.
- Identify priorities for cross-agency collaborations.
Vision & Strategic Objectives
Develop a community-based participatory research institute that also addresses the disparities education of politicians, professionals, citizens and disparities populations.
Members
Dr. Akbar Aghajanian
Professor of Sociology
Fayetteville State University
aaghajanian@uncfsu.edu
910.672.2927
Dr. Robin Bartlett
Associate Professor Community Practice, Nursing
UNCG School of Nursing
robin_bartlett@uncg.edu
336.334.5840
Dr. Ronny A. Bell
Co-Director & Professor of Epidemiology and Prevention
Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity
Wake Forest School of Medicine
rbell@wakehealth.edu
336.716.9736
Dr. Diane Bowles
Vice President for Government Sponsored Programs and Applied Research (GSPAR)
Director, Smith Institute for Applied Research
Johnson C. Smith University
dbowles@jcsu.edu
704.378.1202
Dr. Sally Brocksen
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work
Appalachian State University
brocksensm@appstate.edu
828.262.707
Dr. Goldie Byrd
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
North Carolina A&T State University
gsbyrd@ncat.edu
336.334.7806
Dr. Lori Carter-Edwards
Deputy Director for Research and Operations,
UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
UNC Chapel Hill
lori_carter-edwards@unc.edu
919.966.6034
Dr. Giselle Corbie-Smith
Director, Community Academic Resources for Engaged Scholarship (CARES)
NC TraCS Institute
NIH CTSA at UNC-CH
gcorbie@med.unc.edu
919.962.1136
Ms. Cheryl Emanuel
Community Health Administrator
Mecklenburg County Health Department
cheryl.emanuel@mecklenburgcountync.gov
704.432.0216
Dr. Anthony Emekalam
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
Elizabeth City State University
auemekalam@mail.ecsu.edu
252.335.8521
Dr. Sylvia A. Flack
Executive Director, CEEHD
Winston-Salem State University
flacks@wssu.edu
336.779.7360
Dr. Moses Goldmon
Interim Director, Institute for Health, Social, and Community Research (IHSCR)
Shaw University
mgoldmon@shawu.edu
919.546.8256
Dr. Hope Landrine
Director & Professor of Psychology
Center for Health Disparities Research
East Carolina University
landrineh@ecu.edu
252.744.5535
Ms. Barbara Pullen-Smith
Director
NC Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities
NC DHHS
Barbara.Pullen-Smith@dhhs.nc.gov
919.707.5040
Dr. Rebecca Reeve
Director of Research Programs
North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness
UNC Asheville
rreeve@unca.edu
828.258.7713
Antonia Monk Reaves
Vice President and Senior Program Officer
Cone Health Foundation
antonia.reaves@conehealth.com
336.832.9555
Dr. LaVerne Reid
Associate Dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Professor, Department of Public Health Education
North Carolina Central University
lreid@nccu.edu
919.530.5138
Dr. Malika D. Roman Isler
Assistant Director, Community Academic Resources for Engaged Scholarship (CARES)
NC TraCS Institute
NIH CTSA at UNC-CH
mromanisler@med.unc.edu
919.843.9632 or
866.705.4931
Dr. Anissa L. Vines
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology
Associate Director, UNC Ethnicity, Culture, and Health Outcomes
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
avines@email.unc.edu
919.843.1210
Mrs. Kimberly Walker
Associate Director
Center for Health Policies & Inequalities Research
Duke Global Health Institute
km.walker@duke.edu
919.613.5465
Dr. Debra C. Wallace
Associate Dean for Research and Daphine Doster Mastroianni Distinguished Professor
UNCG School of Nursing
dcwallac@uncg.edu
336.256.0572
Steering Committee
| Dr. Ronny A. Bell Co-Director, Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity Professor, Epidemiology and Prevention Wake Forest School of Medicine rbell@wakehealth.edu 336.716.9736 |
|
 |
|
| Dr. Goldie ByrdDean, College of Arts and Sciences North Carolina A&T State University gsbyrd@ncat.edu 336.334.7806 |
|
|
|
| Dr. Lori Carter-Edwards Deputy Director for Research and Operations, UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention UNC Chapel Hill lori_carter-edwards@unc.edu 919.966.6034 |
|
|
|
| Ms. Cheryl Emanuel Community Health Administrator Mecklenburg County Health Department cheryl.emanuel@mecklenburgcountync.gov 704.432.0216 |
|
|
|
 |
Dr. Sylvia A. Flack Executive Director, CEEHD Winston-Salem State University flacks@wssu.edu 336.779.7360 Read Bio» |
|
|
| Dr. Hope Landrine Professor of Psychology and Director, Center for Health Disparities Research East Carolina University landrineh@ecu.edu 252.744.5535 |
|
|
|
 |
Ms. Barbara Pullen-Smith Director Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities NC DHHS Barbara.Pullen-Smith@dhhs.nc.gov 919.707.5040 Read Bio» |
|
|
| Dr. Anissa L. Vines Research Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology Associate Director, UNC Ethnicity, Culture, and Health Outcomes University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill avines@email.unc.edu) 919.843.1210 |
|
|
|
| Mrs. Kimberly Walker Associate Director Center for Health Policies & Inequalities Research DGHI Duke University km.walker@duke.edu 919.613.5465 |
|
|
|
Dr. Sylvia A. Flack is Executive Director and Founder of the Center of Excellence for the Elimination of Health Disparities. She is the founding Dean of the School of Health Sciences/Professor of Nursing at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). She also served as Special Assistant to the WSSU Chancellor. Dr. Sylvia Flack joined Winston-Salem State University in 1989 as Coordinator of the Nursing Program and was given the almost “impossible mission” of stopping the closure of the nursing program by the NC Board of Nursing, the UNC Board of governors and NC Legislators. Her efforts from 1989 to 2005 prevented the closure of the WSSU generic nursing program and increased the enrollment in the School of Health Sciences and the University. Her research is in the areas of the medically underserved, health disparities, HIV/AIDS, elderly minorities and breast cancer. Dr. Flack utilized the immersion method to successfully teach students about health disparities and how to improve minority health. Dr. Flack founded the Community Family Practice and Wellness Center, an academic primary care facility located in the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem’s public housing and family services. For ten years students and faculty gave the residents care from the Nursing program at WSSU. In 2004 and again in 2009 she developed and led Faces of a Healthy Future: National Conference to End Health Disparities I & II, two of the nation’s largest conferences on health disparities. She has also been instrumental in securing multi-million dollars through research and training grants and other avenues. Dr. Flack has an extensive record of presentation and publications.