Part of National Effort to Improve Methods for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

LITTLE ROCK – The Psychiatric Research Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will receive $640,118 from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the mental health needs of rural African-Americans.

PCORI announced the award as part of its Pilot Projects Program, which will address a broad range of questions about methods for engaging patients in various aspects of the research and dissemination process.

Greer Sullivan, M.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the Community Engagement Component of the UAMS Translational Research Institute, will lead the two-year research project at UAMS along with community partners Mary Olson and Naomi Cottoms at Tri-County Rural Health Network.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a national education campaign that depicts the harsh reality of illness and damage real people suffer as a result of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.  The ads show the toll smoking-related illnesses take on real people and their loved ones.  Viewers in Arkansas will see the ads from March 19 to June 9.
 

The Arkansas Minority Health Commission (AMHC) is now accepting applications for Camp iRock 2012, to be held June 3-9 at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center seven miles west of Little Rock. Camp iRock is a free, week-long experience that takes advantage of interactive dialogue, workshops, and exercises to promote physical activity, healthy lifestyles and self-confidence in young girls.

The common threads among diseases that disproportionately affect minorities are poor nutrition and obesity. As a result of this epidemic, the AMHC voted to add nutrition and fitness as an overarching focus. Camp iRock was created to curve the impact of poor nutrition and obesity in Arkansas. The 2012 camp will focus on empowering young girls with the tools they need to improve their health and lifestyle choices.