Explore the ways we bring health related research to life.
The concept of combatting health disparities emphasizes ensuring that all individuals have fair and just opportunities to achieve optimal health, irrespective of social, economic, or demographic barriers. REACH focuses on advancing health lifestyles by structuring their work around three pillars of excellence – Research, Education and Training, Outreach, and Engagement. These Pillars serve as foundational principles for systematic, sustainable, and evidence-based efforts.
Research
- To generate research driven knowledge to identify disparities in diverse communities.
- Prioritize participation in research studies from diverse and historically underrepresented populations.
- Utilize robust analytics, qualitative research, and community-based insights to reveal those social determinants of health that are barriers to healthy living and aging.
Education and Training
- Integrate health equity principles into curricula, continuing education, and leadership development.
- Encourage self-reflection, cultural humility, and critical evaluation of structural determinants of health.
- Provide accessible health information that empowers communities to understand and act on health disparities.
- Bridge public health, clinical care, social sciences, and policy to inform equitable decision-making.
Outreach and Engagement
- Create and cultivate trustworthy relationships with underserved communities to help them reduce health disparities and increase access to preventive, diagnostic, and community informed solutions.
- Respecting and honoring community as experts and equal partners
- Co-develop initiatives with communities that address local health priorities
- Foster relationships through culturally informed engagement and transparent communication.
- Provide information, services, or interventions in formats and locations accessible to populations affected by socio-economic barriers.
- Strengthening community organizations’ ability to advocate, lead, and sustain health initiatives.
Together, these pillars create a holistic framework where research generates evidence, education builds capacity, outreach extends services, and engagement ensures sustainable community impact. Implemented cohesively, they enable:
- Community empowerment and resilience.
- Data-informed policies for equitable health outcomes.
- Engage stakeholders and advisory boards representing diverse populations in planning, implementation, and evaluation.
- To ensure active involvement, co-leadership, and empowerment of communities in shaping their health priorities and outcomes.
The health pillars of excellence integrate research, education and training, and outreach and engagement to achieve measurable improvements in health outcomes for all communities.