As Congress considers the Health Care Bill, now is a good time for us to reflect on issues that impact health disparities. 

I recently had the opportunity to attend The Faces of a Healthy Future:  National Conference to End Health Disparities II. The purpose of the conference was to bring together advocates from various walks of life - educators, community leaders, politicians, and policymakers - to work together with the common goal of providing equitable health care to all citizens.  It was a rewarding experience to network and hear from local professionals and other experts like Drs. Cornel West and Sanjay Gupta. 

Participating in this conference reaffirms the importance of NC-HCAP and the work that we do. A perfect example of this can be seen in the success of our recent Health Careers Day on the Hill. This interactive event allowed NC high school students to visit the UNC campus and hear from faculty and student representatives from the UNC medical, dental and nursing schools and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Over four hundred students attended the program and left here with a renewed spirit for reaching their goals of becoming health care practitioners. Long term, our pipeline programs like Health Careers Day on the Hill help to eradicate health disparities.
 
Paula Borden
Interim Director