Southern Nursing Research Society: Minority & Community Health Town Hall

The Minority Health and Community Health Research Interest Groups of the Southern Nurses Research Society (SNRS) will host a pre-conference Community Town Hall on Wednesday, February 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. a the Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute in Dallas, TX.

The town hall is entitled "A Bridge to Engage Community Members and Researchers." Community engagement is a core approach to improving population health. This Town Hall meeting has been planned by researchers, clinicians and community members to understand the concepts around engagement with and for promoting health and well-being in the community.

The purpose of this Community Town Hall is two-fold: 1) to provide information about promoting health and mitigating health disparities, particularly related to major chronic health issues affecting residents of the South Dallas area. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke are among the top chronic conditions; 2) the Community Town Hall will provide an opportunity for researchers and others stakeholders to hear concerns and learn from local community members.

Organizers have planned panel presentations by researchers, faith-based organizations and citizen members. A community based approach will be used to engage all participants in the process of bi-directional learning for problem identification, decision-making and strategies for problem solving empower community for active participation in their own well-being. The Community Town Hall will conclude with a reception and networking event for attendees. The final results of the Town Hall will be disseminated to attendees, SNRS membership, local community members/groups and schools of nursing in the Dallas, Texas area.