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1999 SESSION

999440828
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 647
Offered January 21, 1999
Requesting the Virginia Commissioner of Health to establish a task force to review and examine health-related data sets as part of further analysis of the health status of African-Americans.
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Patrons-- Melvin, Baker, Brink, Davies, DeBoer, Diamonstein, Hall, Hamilton and Morgan; Senators: Bolling, Gartlan, Lambert, Martin, Schrock, Walker and Woods
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Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions
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WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Minority Health recently completed a study of the health status and conditions of African Americans (the VDH study) pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 355 of the 1997 Session of the General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, based on available health data, there are a number of significant disparities in the health status and conditions of African-Americans and Whites, including life expectancy, heart disease mortality, stroke mortality, diabetes, infant mortality, low birth weight, and teenage pregnancy; and

WHEREAS, heart disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional and intentional injury, and HIV/AIDS are among the most significant health concerns for African-Americans; and

WHEREAS, 20 percent of African-Americans lack health insurance compared to 14 percent of all Virginians; and

WHEREAS, the VDH study concluded that Virginians as a whole are generally making progress towards the Healthy People 2000 objectives but that in most cases these objectives will not be achieved for African-Americans; and

WHEREAS, the VDH study also concluded that there is no consistent method for determining the extent to which health promotion activities target African-Americans and whether those activities that do so are effective; and

WHEREAS, the adequate portrayal of the distinct health outcomes of African-Americans is difficult because much of the state's health data is not collected or reported by racial classifications; and

WHEREAS, state health data has historically been collected under the race categories of "White" and "non-White," with "non-White" including African-Americans as well as other racial and ethnic groups; and

WHEREAS, the VDH study concluded that disaggregation of these health data by racial and ethnic population group is critical if a true picture of African-American health, and the health of other minority groups, is to be accurately portrayed; and

WHEREAS, the VDH study also concluded that further analysis is needed to develop a more accurate depiction of efforts to reduce health disparities between African-Americans and Whites, and to establish a baseline for analyzing and evaluating health data and health promotion activities; and

WHEREAS, the VDH study recommended that a methodology be developed for estimating the state's population by race, geographic area, and gender in order to allow for a uniform method of analyzing health data sets; and

WHEREAS, the VDH study further recommended establishment of a task force to focus on African-American health in Virginia; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the State Health Commissioner establish a task force comprised of representatives of appropriate state agencies and private health-related entities to (i) review and examine health-related data sets in Virginia as part of further analysis of the health status of African-Americans, (ii) develop reporting processes to generate more reliable estimates of minority populations, and (iii) examine how state agencies and private health organizations can assist by collecting and reporting data classified by race and ethnicity; and be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the State Health Commissioner submit the findings and recommendations of the task force to the State Board of Health and the Joint Commission on Health Care by October 1, 1999, and to the Governor and the 2000 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.