Contact: Eileen Teves, 210-450-7239, tevese@uthscsa.edu
A team of researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is among four teams across the United States selected to launch community engagement centers thanks to a generous contribution from the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
A total gift of $20 million from the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will help the four teams of scientists and community leaders engage with historically underrepresented groups and lead research efforts aimed at reducing health inequities and improving community health.
Led by Vasan Ramachandran, MD, FACC, FAHA, and Amelie Ramirez, DrPH, MPH, of UT Health San Antonio, the COmmuNity eNgagEment for building Capacity, Trust, and Ownership of Research (CONNECTOR) is the name of the community engagement resource center and will receive $3.5 million for its initiative.
CONNECTOR will help the UT Health San Antonio team identify, evaluate and manage community solutions to address precursors to heart and vascular disease, including upstream factors such as nutritional insecurity and other related determinants of health outcomes. Funds will be used to train the next generation of community researchers and practitioners with the on-the-ground experience and skills needed to drive meaningful change in the community. The team will also share key findings from their research on how community engagement practices can support improved health outcomes.
“We are grateful to the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for investing in our initiative,” said Ramachandran, founding dean of the University of Texas School of Public Health at San Antonio. “Our goal is to engage, support, understand and learn from underrepresented communities about their specific health issues and related needs.”
In the United States, an average of one person dies from cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and underrepresented communities in the United States. Receiving support to combat heart disease underscores a shared commitment to advancing heart health across the community.
“Sustainable health begins with recognizing the barriers that exist for underserved communities, including right here in San Antonio,” said Allen Anderson, MD, FACC, FAHA, Janey and Dolph Briscoe Professor and Chief of the Division of Cardiology at UT Health San Antonio. “I am thrilled that Dr. Ramachandran, a world-renowned clinical outcomes researcher, cardiologist in our division and dean of our School of Public Health, will lead the Community Engagement Center component of this major study. We are all committed to addressing disparities in cardiovascular health care through research like this and through the American Heart Association.”
Anderson also serves on the board of directors of the American Heart Association of San Antonio and is director of the Heart and Vascular Institute at University Health. The partnership with the organization represents an effort to address health challenges, improve public health and make meaningful improvements on a large scale.
“Our collaboration embodies the transformative potential of integrating diverse perspectives and valuable community knowledge,” said Ramirez, chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research and leader of Salud America!, a health communications program for Latinos at UT Health San Antonio. “Through our research and community engagement, we have the opportunity to reach underrepresented groups and promote best practices for heart disease prevention.”
The American Heart Association is an unwavering force for a world where lives are longer and healthier. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in every community through collaboration with many organizations and supported by millions of volunteers, the American Heart Association funds innovative research, advocates for public health and shares vital resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. As it enters its second century of bold discovery and impact, the American Heart Association’s vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere.
Inspired by the vision of its founder, Robert Wood Johnson II, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is a leading national philanthropic organization dedicated to transforming health. Through funding, advocacy, and evidence-building, the organization works with communities, practitioners, and institutions to achieve health equity.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is one of the nation’s leading health science universities and is designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, biomedical sciences and public health have graduated more than 43,886 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and restoring hope to patients and their families in South Texas and around the world. To learn more about the many ways “We Make Lives Better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
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