The Commission is pleased to present a special edition of our HUE to commemorate our Director Emeritus,

Ms, Cheryl Boyce.

                    Please click HERE to access this very special issue.

Tribute to Mrs. Cheryl A. Boyce 

"Our National Mother of Minority Health"

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

It is with a heavy heart that we share with you the passing of a Mrs. Cheryl A. Boyce.  Giving honor where honor is due, on behalf of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health Board and Staff, we are forever grateful for the life and service of our beloved Executive Director Emeritus Cheryl Boyce for her tireless efforts as a national and state trailblazer in Minority Health. 

When she began her service to the Commission on Minority Health in 1985, the issue of racial and ethnic health disparities was seldom acknowledged but she insisted on starting the discussion.  She is known nationally as the “Mother of Minority Health” because her diligent efforts brought forth the establishment of the national, state and local infrastructure to address racial and ethnic health disparities through the creation of the National Association of State Offices of Minority Health, as well as the Ohio Ethnic Health Coalitions and the Ohio Local Offices of Minority Health. Her influence is immeasurable as she served a role model, mentor, and “Mom” to hundreds of professionals as she personally encouraged them to be diligent in addressing health disparities. Her groundbreaking efforts in Ohio resulted in culturally and linguistically appropriate chronic disease prevention initiatives, replication and expansion of effective prevention models, the creation of the Research Enhancement Evaluation Program and establishing the validity of health disparities at policy tables. It is on her shoulders that we stand, and we are forever indebted to her husband Russell, daughter Ebony and her extended family for sharing her with us. 

She often closed her presentations with these words – “Go in search of your people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build on what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say ‘We have done this ourselves.” – Lao Tzu   

Ms. Cheryl, we could not have done this work without you!!

The virtural symposium highlighted key themes and the Department’s commitment to addressing COVID-19 disparities. To view the symposium, held on September 17, 2020, please visit the following link:

https://youtu.be/rcDRntBQ7L8

The Ohio Conference of the NAACP, Ohio Commission on Minority Health and the Ohio Department of Health have prepared this joint statement providing information to lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic minority communities. 

The community spread of COVID-19 is an unfortunate reality. It is important to dispel myths that convey racial and ethnic minorities are less susceptible to COVID-19.  This is simply not true. Access to care can be a challenge for minorities which could result in a greater impact from COVID-19. The response to COVID-19 requires intentional strategies to ensure those who are most vulnerable within racial and ethnic minority populations have access to testing, treatment and critical resources. Racial and ethnic minorities are encouraged to be proactive in their efforts to protect themselves from contracting COVID-19.  It is important to heed the advice of public health leaders and healthcare providers which encourages social distancing and good hygiene practices. On March 15, 2020 the national NAACP hosted an Emergency Tele-Townhall on COVID-19. This national broadcast discussed the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. More information on the Tele-Townhall can be found at https://naacp.org/emergency-coronavirus-tele-town-hall/.  For up-to-date information about the impact of COVID-19 on Ohio please visit  http://coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH. The phones are staffed from 9:00am to 8:00pm each day.

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200514/franklin-county-lsquoracism-is-public-health-crisisrsquo

The Franklin County Board of Health has joined a growing number of cities and counties that have declared racism a public health crisis.

The board also said it acknowledged the health impact of racism in Ohio and Franklin County is affecting the entire community.

The board of health said racism and segregation in Ohio and Franklin County have exacerbated a health divide resulting in black Ohioans having lower life expectancies than white Ohioans, being far more likely than other races to die prematurely, and to die of heart disease or stroke, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200601/businesses-join-columbus-city-council-anti-racism-resolution

Columbus City Council’s resolution calls for the city to address minority health inequities, including a systematic, data-driven focus on poverty, economic mobility and other factors that impact the social determinants of health.

Cleveland council committee approves resolution that would declare racism a public health crisis

https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/06/01/cleveland-council-committee-approves-resolution-that-would-declare-racism-public-health-crisis/