RESEARCH/CONSULTATION
WORK TO ORGANIZATIONS AND THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
A Roster of Fellows and Consultants
The RGDH maintains a roster of professionals—including our pre- and post-doctoral fellows, professional colleagues, and consultants—who are available for research and consultation projects. We bring expertise in culturally appropriate research, spanning the entire process from conceptualization of research projects, to their implementation, data analysis, data interpretation, writing, publication, and presentation (i.e., conferences, keynotes, lectures, demonstrations). In addition, we bring to the task our own package of tools, chosen and/or created to ensure cultural appropriateness for any particular geographic location, population, or health issue, etc…. The RGDH specializes in the creation of new research tools and measures specifically designed for use in culturally appropriate research.
Use of Our Research Tools in Consultation Work to Organizations
Many of our research tools are also of use in consultation work to organizations. These tools support consultation work that provides feedback to organizations and the tailoring of both in-house and on-line organizational trainings based on research findings. The tools created by the RGDH to date include measures as follows: a tool for obtaining organizational members' perceptions of what goes on during health care delivery by patient/client demographics (age, race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation), perceptions of racism and/or oppression, skills for actively coping with racism and/or oppression when they witness it happening to others and/or themselves, patterns of coping and/or responding to racism and/or oppression; a measure of cultural attitudes and beliefs regarding food consumption/body image/physical activity, and, for fast food/fruits and vegetables/exercise patterns of behavior; and, a measure of HIV/AIDS knowledge. Hence, the research and consultation work supported by RGDH tools and measures also serve to further propel the new burgeoning field of health disparity reduction.
Other Media to Educate About Health
In addition, the RGDH has already and seeks to produce yet more media for purposes of reducing and eliminating health disparities. This includes books, training manuals, videos, and DVDs, as well as content for on-line/internet/i-pod delivery formats. In addition, this media includes the content for promoting health and addressing health disparities via education that is also entertainment—facilitating media campaigns and social marketing campaigns.
We Welcome Partnerships
The RGDH welcomes partnerships with regional, national, and international groups, organizations, universities, and corporations, including foundations, non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, faith-based initiatives, etc…. The purpose of these partnerships is to maximize the distribution of our talents, resources, research tools, consultation expertise, publication ventures, and other media. The RGDH partners with the Center for Educational Outreach and Innovation (CEO&I) of Teachers College, Columbia University in putting on the Annual Health Disparities Conference at Teachers College. We also partner with StarSpirit International, Inc. —an NGO—in providing HIV/AIDS Peer Education Training in Africa, as well as America. Thus, we welcome partnerships that allow us to expand our work reducing and eliminating health disparities. Contact us to explore a partnership.