Strategies for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health.

This report is the fourth in a series of programs made possible by a grant to Grantmakers In Health (GIH) from The Commonwealth Fund to bring grantmakers together with experts in policy, practice, and research to exchange information and ideas about key health issues facing the nation. On May 18, 2000, GIH convened a select group of grantmakers along with officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other experts in research and practice for an Issue Dialogue on racial and ethnic disparities in health. Intended to both share lessons learned and stimulate new ideas, the Issue Dialogue proved to be a rich, although difficult discussion about the conditions that give rise to health disparities. Among the ideas discussed were the interaction of race and socioeconomic status on health, environmental justice, and the complexities of working with different racial and ethnic groups. At the same time, the forum focused on what health funders can do to support the development of programs to improve the health of minorities. This Issue Brief brings together key points from the day's discussion with factual information on racial and ethnic disparities in health and grantmaker activities drawn from a background paper prepared for Dialogue participants.