The United States needs more young people to serve as public health leaders—particularly in the area of urban research.

So declared David Satcher, MD, PhD, Founding Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine, 16th Surgeon General of the United States, and former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of his keynote address at the Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center’s 20th Anniversary Symposium in Detroit on January 21, 2016. (Please click here if you'd like to see Dr. Satcher's presentation.) 

“During his tenure with the CDC, Dr. Satcher was pivotal in our development and establishment as an urban research center in 1995,” said Barbara Israel, University of Michigan (U-M) School of Public Health Professor and Director of the Detroit Urban Research Center (Detroit URC), a partnership between several U-M researchers (in the Schools of Public Health, Nursing, and Social Work) and multiple Detroit community-based organizations and health and human service agencies focused on using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to reduce health inequities in Detroit. “So it was very meaningful—and highly appreciated—that Dr. Satcher spoke at the Detroit URC’s 20th Anniversary Symposium.”

As part of Dr. Satcher’s talk—which was titled “Leadership Needs in the Quest for Health Equity”—Dr. Satcher pointed out that, according to National Institutes of Health research findings, if health disparities were eliminated in the United States, then America would have had 83,000 fewer African American deaths in the year 2000. The answer to such inequities, Dr. Satcher asserted, lies

 in having more leaders willing to confront public health challenges, including situations like the water contamination in Flint, Michigan. Dr. Satcher also urged public health professionals to continue advancing their knowledge in the field.

“When leaders stop learning, they’re no longer leading,” he said.

Nearly 400 people watched and listened to Dr. Satcher’s one-hour keynote address—including both symposium attendees and participants of a live web stream of the talk. U-M Social Work Professor and Detroit URC Board Member Edith (Edie) C. Kieffer was among them. 

"I was very glad to see so many students and young people at the Symposium," she said. "Given Dr. Satcher's message about the need to prepare the next generation of leaders in CBPR approaches to eliminating health inequities, it was truly inspiring seeing so many of those young leaders connecting with us, and each other, at the Symposium. I think this was one of the event's most important achievements."

During the daylong Symposium, Dr. Satcher was proclaimed a “Health Equity Champion of Detroit,” via a formal proclamation issued by the City of Detroit Mayor’s Office. Dr. Satcher’s talk, a copy of the proclamation, and the full program for the event, are available at DetroitURC.org/symposium.

A full list of Detroit URC partner organizations is also available at DetroitURC.org/about-us/our-partners.html.

Thank you to everyone who applied to the Detroit URC's second annual Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Partnership Academy, a nationwide, year-long capacity building opportunity for community-academic teams focused on improving health equity in their community. Applications were due by February 15, 2016. 

• Are you a mid- to upper-level staff member at a Detroit Community Based Organization (CBO)?
• Are you interested in learning about collaborative research and what it could mean to your organization?
• Could your organization benefit from FREE training?

If you answered yes, then be sure to sign up for a complimentary training workshop called Collaborative Research Capacity Building for CBOs on February 10, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the University of Michigan Detroit Center (South Studio Room) at 3663 Woodward Ave. 

Sponsored by the Detroit Urban Research Center, this half-day training session introduces principles and methods of a collaborative research approach that empowers Detroit CBO leaders to put their community's interest first. This is an exceptional opportunity to learn from community and academic experts in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), at no cost to you or your organization. To gain the most value out of the workshop, we encourage you to bring multiple colleagues from your organization.

• Refreshments will be served.
• A raffle will be held at the end of the workshop. 
• A Certificate of Completion will be provided to participants who complete the full training.
• Space is limited, so be sure to sign up ASAP.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

More than 200 people joined the Detroit URC and our affiliated partners for the 20th Anniversary Symposium at Detroit's Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday, January 21, 2016.

Not only did we highlight and celebrate 20 years of "Advancing Partnerships, Research, and Equity in Detroit," but we  also honored Dr. David Satcher, Founding Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine, the 16th Surgeon General of the United States, and former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who was pivotal in our development and establishment as a center in 1995.

Attendees were inspired by Dr. Satcher as he delivered a keynote address about "Leadership Needs in the Quest for Health Equity," as well as by community and academic experts in community-based participatory research (CBPR) to advance health equity in Detroit as they:

• Shared results from multiple research and interventions conducted by the Detroit URC and affiliated partnerships;
• Addressed social determinants of health and health inequities in Detroit;
• Discussed policy translation and its impact on improving health outcomes;
• Described strategies and outcomes of CBPR capacity building efforts; and
• Celebrated 20 years of partnership and research to promote health equity in Detroit.

In addition to on-site participants, another 160+ professionals watched and listened to Dr. David Satcher's key note address via live web stream--and earned Public Health continuing education credits in the process. This day-long Symposium included presentations, panel discussions, break-out sessions, video testimonials, and more. Please click here to learn more, and enjoy some photos from the event below.