By John Andrews, Contributing Editor
Poor and minority populations are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to healthcare, although there are efforts underway to reduce the disparities, says HHS official Garth Graham, MD.
Graham will elaborate on this issue during his program titled “Underserved Communities and the Health Information Technology Landscape – the Necessity of Partnership” March 1 at 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, in Georgia Ballroom 2.
As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, Graham is responsible for ensuring that federal, state and local health programs take into account the needs of underprivileged racial and ethnic populations. The Office of Minority Health was created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1986 as a result of the Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Health.
Graham was previously appointed a White House Fellow and special assistant to former Secretary Tommy G. Thompson at the Department of Health and Human Services. He founded the Boston Men’s Cardiovascular Health Project, a project designed to identify behavioral explanations for decreased adherence to adequate diet and exercise by African American men.
He is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School where he trained in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and serves as a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health. He has authored scientific articles and presentations on cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS and community medicine. Dr. Graham earned an MD from the Yale School of Medicine, where he graduated cum laude.