Presenting the Health Disparities Planning Process
Kwabena Adubofour, MD, and Phyllis Preciado, MD, cochairs of the NEPO Expert Panel next shared with all present the overall purpose and framework the Expert Panel is using to develop the Network's first racial and ethnic health disparities plan of action as well as outline the focus for the day. Our cochairs expressed their belief that development of this framework and diabetes action plan presents the opportunity for the Network to play a critical role in addressing health disparities and the ravages of diabetes in our communities. Both thanked Dr. Lowe and Frank Staggers, MD, for their vision that gave birth to the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations.

The Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations
Drs. Adubofour and Preciado began their presentation with an overview of the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations Project. The Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations Project began in 2002 as an effort to enable ethnic physician organizations to work and advocate for improved health care in their local communities. It has quickly become a national model demonstrating the critical importance of capturing and sharing the experiences of ethnic physicians across culture, within organized medicine and at the community level.

Ethnic physicians and their organizations play important roles in promoting the health of diverse communities. Minority physicians are more likely to practice medicine in communities with a higher percentage of ethnically diverse members. While most minority patients in California still receive care from a health provider of a different ethnic background, minority physicians in California often provide a bridge to greater language and cultural understanding between their colleagues and their communities.

• Strengthen the collaboration between the ethnic physician organizations and community-based organizations.
  
• Deepen the relationship between physicians and community members to improve the health of their communities.
  
• Address issues of health disparities and access to care.
  
• Encourage ethnic physicians to broaden their efforts to address health concerns in their communities.
  
• Provide the community with the ethnic physician's perspective on community health issues.
  
• Increase the diversity of California's healthcare workforce.
  
• Speak out on public policy issues.
  

Next Drs. Adubofour and Preciado shared the overall purposes for the NEPO Health Disparities Framework. Completion of the framework will strengthen the influence of ethnic physician organizations with policy makers and increase the number of ethnic physician organizations involved in public policy advocacy. Implementation of the framework will also increase the number of ethnic physician organizations working with community partners to narrow health disparities and equip ethnic physicians to reduce health disparities in their communities through their medical practice.