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Dear Community:
At the Center for Closing the Health Gap, we are unwavering in our commitment to eliminating racial health disparities and advancing health equity for all. As highlighted in a recent WHYY feature on improving health outcomes for Black Americans, Black communities continue to experience higher rates of chronic and serious health conditions and face systemic barriers to quality care, even as dedicated providers work tirelessly to expand access and build trust in care delivery.
These persistent inequities – rooted in historical injustice and present-day structural barriers – underscore why our work is both urgent and necessary. Together with community partners, health professionals, and advocates, we are focused on driving solutions that improve health outcomes, strengthen access to culturally competent care, and dismantle the systemic obstacles that compromise equity. Progress demands commitment, collaboration, and the courage to confront disparities head-on.
Thank you for standing with us in this vital journey. Wishing you a safe and healthy week ahead!

Renee Mahaffey Harris
President & CEO
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Renee Mahaffey Harris – Closing the Health Gap CEO – Named 2026 Health Care Hero Award Winner at Business Courier Event
The Business Courier’s 29th annual Health Care Heroes awards were held last night at Cincinnati Music Hall. The awards recognized medical professionals who are improving the quality of care for the region in myriad ways.
Closing the Health Gap CEO Renee Mahaffey Harris was among the finalists in the Executives category and earned the top prize at the event!
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Closing the Gap: Improving Health Outcomes for Black Americans
When it comes to serious health issues like obesity, heart disease, and cancer, Black Americans have higher rates and worse outcomes than most other groups in the U.S. It’s a problem that’s gained growing attention over the past few decades, as public health experts have worked to untangle the causes of these disparities, and to find ways of mitigating their effects. Now those efforts face serious headwinds, with federal funding cuts and pressure against DEI measures threatening to roll back progress. But in the face of these challenges, providers are doubling down on offering care that builds trust and delivers better outcomes.

On this special production of The Pulse, we find out what that work looks like on the ground. From becoming an ally to patients to mentoring the next generation of Black physicians, we’ll hear how providers are expanding access to quality care. We’ll also explore how the birth of Medicare led to the desegregation of hospitals.
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Survey: Nephrology fellows underprepared, concerned about addressing health disparities
Nephrology fellows expressed concern about health care disparities in practice, but only 61% said they feel confident to address them, according to survey data published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Previous surveys have found that physician-trainees recognize the importance of equity in kidney care, both for their own professional values and for optimizing patient outcomes, according to Areeba Jawed, MD, clinical associate professor in the division of nephrology at University of Michigan Medical School, and colleagues. However, perspectives from nephrology fellows on equitable kidney care are not well documented, the researchers wrote.
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Tackling the rise in early onset cancer: From research to health equity
Hello and welcome to the latest episode of OCTalks, the podcast series from Oncology Central. I’m Jade Parker, Senior Editor of Oncology Central.
Today I am joined by LeeAnn Bailey, who is the Branch Director of the Community Outreach Research and Engagement branch of the NCI’s Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD). In this interview, we will discuss contributing factors to early onset (EO) cancers, how certain groups are disproportionately affected and initiatives seeking to reduce disparities in cancer care.
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Ghosts in the machine: Congressional watchdog finds significant gaps in federal health care and disability data
Consider a deaf patient who joins a telehealth appointment only to discover that the platform only allows a single participant, shutting out their sign‑language interpreter. Federal surveys seeking feedback on their health care experiences might record their dissatisfaction, but not the communication barrier at its root. A new government report finds that gaps like these are built into the system, inhibiting accessibility.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released findings in December from an investigation showing that federal data systems fail to capture the unique barriers disabled people face in health care. When federal data does not capture these experiences, they remain invisible to policymakers, the congressional watchdog asserts.
By not collecting data from disabled people regarding health care accessibility, the GAO writes that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “may not adequately track its progress or be held accountable for meeting its own strategic goals.”
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Here's how the new Portage Crisis Center hopes to bridge the mental health care gap
Where should someone go if they're dealing with a mental health crisis, needing the security of a jail but the care of a hospital?
A new $7.7 million expansion aims to offer a solution. Crews are in the final stages of completing the new Portage Crisis Center at Coleman Health Services along Lovers Lane in Ravenna, Ohio.
"We discovered we needed to enhance our crisis system," Karyn Kravetz, associate director of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, said. The new facility will serve people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and other mental health challenges.
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US youth obesity rates remain high, with notable disparities
Rates of obesity remain significant in the United States, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open. Youths with overweight and obesity are significantly more likely to experience adult obesity, as well as both short- and long-term health outcomes. Youth obesity rates have been consistently recorded as high in the United States in national studies and surveillance programs.

“However, national estimates for youth overweight and severe obesity remain limited, especially among subgroups,” wrote investigators.
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In Low-Value Emergency Care for Children, Differences by Patient Race and Ethnicity Persist
Throughout the last 20 years of pediatrics, we have seen evidence-based paradigm shifts in care allowing pediatric clinicians to safely do less for our patients. We can avoid antibiotics for patients with bronchiolitis and computer tomography scans for every child who has a head injury, as we work to reduce “low-value care,” defined as “the use of health services for which potential risks outweigh likely benefits.”
Multiple studies demonstrate differences in how children of different races and ethnicities may receive low-value care. These differences support the established fact that despite our best efforts, healthcare delivery is biased. A patient’s race and ethnicity, in complex and not well understood ways, may impact clinician bias on treatment recommendations, or a family’s ability to advocate for their treatment preferences.
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