N.C. A&T, Cone Health Receive $25,000 to Boost Health Equity

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Oct. 22, 2020) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Cone Health are among 10 organizations receiving $25,000 for new or ongoing work to address nursing’s role in building health equity and well-being and promoting a culture of heath.

The grant was awarded as part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The funding is a matching grant that means $50,000 will be put into the work.

Nursing students from N.C. A&T and nurses from Cone Health’s Congregational Nursing Program will partner with selected churches in communities that have historically had fewer opportunities to receive accessible and affordable health care in order to address access to health care using a Health Equity Toolkit, developed by RWJF and the AARP Foundation.

Health inequities are often the result of policies and decisions that unjustly and unfairly shape our experiences at home, at school, at work, at play and where we receive health care, said Lenora R. Campbell, Ph.D., dean of A&T’s College of Health and Human Sciences. These policies have often persisted for generations, resulting in inequities, long-standing barriers to good health and health disparities, including mortality rates.

“The experiences our students will have through this grant will further position them to address health disparities and health inequities in health care,” said Campbell. “Students will work in communities in Alamance, Guilford and Rockingham counties on issues that impact health care, including the challenges of COVID-19.”

The Health Equity Toolkit will develop the partnership- and coalition-building skills of nurses and pastors for promoting the health and well-being of communities. Nurses, pastors and congregations will get a better understanding of health equity and health disparities. They will also learn concepts and skills for assessing and responding to social determinants of health.

“It is very important that we identify those most at risk during this pandemic and help them reduce their risks,” said Kenneth Rempher, Ph.D., a registered nurse and chief nurse executive for Cone Health. “The exciting part of this work is that we will also begin to address the issues that put people more at risk for COVID-19 and other health issues in the first place.”

The ongoing partnership between A&T and Cone Health is guided by the North Carolina Action Coalition, the Campaign for Action’s state presence which is committed to transforming health and health care through nursing in North Carolina.