Dear Closing the Health Gap Community:

At the Center for Closing the Health Gap, we recognize the invaluable role caregivers play in our community. With approximately 65 million Americans—nearly one in three adults—providing unpaid care for a loved one, the need for support has never been greater.

Caregiving is an act of love, but it also comes with immense challenges. Sixty percent of caregivers report experiencing stress and burnout, and many face serious health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and even heart disease. Too often, caregivers put their own well-being last.

Our Caregivers Self-Care Program is here to change that (see details below). Through education, resources, and emotional support, we empower caregivers to care for themselves as well as their loved ones. Because a healthier caregiver means a healthier community. Join us in ensuring no caregiver struggles alone.

Blessings for a safe and healthy week ahead!

Renee Mahaffey Harris

President & CEO

Five years after COVID-19 lockdown, racial health disparities linger

Five years ago, the state of Minnesota and the rest of the world was experiencing the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we’ve learned people of color experienced a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 cases and deaths. In Minnesota, deaths from COVID-19 were concentrated in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Elizabeth Wrigley-Field is the associate director of the Minnesota Population Center and a sociology professor at the University of Minnesota. She is part of a team that published a study looking at the racial disparities in mortality rates from COVID-19 across neighborhoods in Minnesota. Wrigley-Field joined Dr. Kevin Gilliam, the medical director of NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center in north Minneapolis, to talk about their perspectives on disparities in health care.

Click here to listen to the full conversation.

NPR: Researchers fear grants for studies on health disparities may be cut in anti-DEI push

Health disparity - that's among hundreds of terms the Trump administration is reportedly telling federal agencies to avoid or scrub from government websites, research and databases. Some researchers, though, point out their work on health disparities actually benefits rural white populations that are often overlooked in debates about diversity and equity. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports.

Click here for the full NPR story.

Study shows racism a major issue impacting Ohio’s maternal and infant mortality rate

A new study shows Ohio’s struggle to improve infant and maternal mortality has roots in systemic issues like health care access, poverty and, above all, racism. Using the stories of thousands of Ohioans and a specific focus in an area with some of the highest infant mortality rates, advocacy group Groundwork Ohio and Dayton-based non-profit health care company CareSource put together an analysis of the causes of infant and maternal mortality rates in the state, efforts that have been made to stem the problem, and future solutions.

"Reducing infant mortality requires more than data — it demands that we listen to the voices of pregnant women, understand their challenges and act with urgency to remove barriers to care," Deirdra Yocum, interim president of CareSource’s Ohio market, said in a statement announcing the study. A 2024 March of Dimes report card showed Ohio’s infant mortality rate at 7.1 deaths for every 10,000 births, ranking Ohio 43rd in the country. Maternal mortality was reported as 24.5 deaths per 100,000 births in the state, a statistic that has worsened in the last year, according to the report card.

Click here for the full story.

2025 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps Report Shows Continuing Health Disparities Across Arkansas

The 2025 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report reveals significant differences in health across Arkansas counties. While some counties stand out as among the healthiest in the nation, others continue to face steep barriers shaped by economic and social conditions.

The annual report, released Wednesday, March 19, differs from past installments in several ways. Notably, the 2025 report no longer assigns counties individual ranks for comparison. Instead, counties are now grouped based on similar health conditions, making it easier to compare counties in Arkansas to counties in other states facing similar challenges. Another change is the introduction of a new model for understanding what shapes health and well-being, emphasizing the role of power and societal rules.

Click here for the full story.