Improving the health of underserved populations through proven methods and new ideas
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Projects

All Projects

Through The Lens: Immigrant Perspectives on Health in Southeast Minnesota

Using Photovoice, we collaborated with Hispanic/Latino and Somali immigrant leaders to document their health-related assets and needs. The photographers’ words and photographs illustrate stories of discrimination, stress, and exclusion but also immense fortitude, resilience, and pride. Collectively, we want to ensure that immigrants have a voice in shaping the policies and decisions that impact our health and lives. 

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Mark Wieland
Pandemic Communications Toolkit

Crisis emergency risk communication (CERC) is the application of evidence-based principles to effectively communicate during emergencies. CERC framework is applied in public health in response to health emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage public participation in disease prevention and containment.

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Mark Wieland
Stories for Change (S4C) La deteccíon temprana puede salvar vidas

Disparities exist in the screening rates for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White populations. Hispanic immigrants and/or individuals who have limited-English proficiency also experience additional vulnerabilities that contribute to this disparity. Culturally tailored interventions are needed to address breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer disparities among this population.

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Mark Wieland
COVID-19 crisis and emergency risk communication (completed)

Racial minorities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Moreover, vulnerable populations and minorities are more likely to have communication gaps due to socioeconomic disadvantage, low health literacy, immigration status, and limited English proficiency, compounded by language and cultural discordance and mistrust of health institutions.

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Mark Wieland
Social Network Analysis (completed)

In 2015, RHCP completed the Healthy Immigrant Families (HIF) project, during which community and academic partners co-created an intervention that was delivered to 44 Hispanic, Somali and Sudanese families in their homes by bilingual interventionists.

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Nate Nordstrom
Closing the Gap (completed)

Patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) have lower rates of cancer screening than their English-proficient counterparts in the United States. Local clinic data in Rochester, Minnesota, mirrors the national trends, with wide disparity gaps for cancer screening among patients with LEP.

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Nate Nordstrom
Stories for Change (S4C) Diabetes

Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, including immigrants and refugees, have higher rates of diabetes, and worse outcomes than the general population. Stories told by people who live successfully with diabetes may improve the health of people who are having difficulty living with diabetes.

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Nate Nordstrom
Healthy Immigrant Community

While immigrant and refugee populations arrive to the United States healthier than the general population, these advantages disappear over time, partly due to adoption of unhealthy dietary behaviors.

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Nate Nordstrom
Healthy Immigrant Families (completed)

Immigrants and refugees arrive to the United States healthier than the general population. But, the longer they live in the U.S., the more likely they are to approximate the cardiovascular risk profiles of the general population, including increased rates of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease.

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Nate Nordstrom
Let’s Talk about TB (completed)

More than half of active tuberculosis (TB) cases in the United States occur in foreign-born individuals; the majority of these cases are attributable to reactivation of latent TB infection (LTBI). Reactivation of LBTI may be prevented with appropriate screening and treatment of those at risk.

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Nate Nordstrom
Let’s Talk (completed)

Healthy literacy influences health behaviors and health outcomes. It is estimated that close to half of the adult United States population is functionally illiterate when it comes to health.

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Nate Nordstrom
Club Fit (completed)

Club Fit was an initiative aimed at promoting healthy habits and preventing excess weight gain among children members at the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester, Minnesota (BGCR). Obesity is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular, metabolic, and other health conditions and for psychosocial concerns such as bullying, stigma, and emotional difficulties.

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Nate Nordstrom
Positive Loser (completed)

Immigrants and refugees to the United States have physical activity levels and dietary behaviors that are less healthy than the non-immigrant majority. Low levels of physical activity and poor dietary behaviors are associated with greater risks for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

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Nate Nordstrom