Project Details
- REACH 2010: 1999-2007
- REACH Enhanced Evaluation: 2007-2008
- REACH U.S.: 2007-2012
- Contact Information: Daniel Kruger, PhD, UM SPH (kruger@umich.edu)
- Funding: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Description
The Genesee County Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) project focuses on reducing disparities in perinatal health and infant mortality in Genesee County, Michigan, through multi-faceted community based intervention strategies. The REACH coalition has collaborated for the past 10 years to successfully reduce health disparities in our county. The Genesee County REACH coalition was first funded in 2000 to implement the REACH 2010 Initiative.
In 2007, the PRC-MI led the Enhanced Evaluation Project which provided an opportunity to better understand the key outcomes of their work. The Enhanced Evaluation project expanded upon the original Genesee County REACH 2010 evaluation plan with the goal to provide a more in-depth and comparative investigation to explore the connection between infant mortality (IM) prevention efforts and IM rates, maternal conditions, and perinatal health outcomes. This project emphasizes the use of Geographical Information Systems for understanding community patterns related to birth outcomes and infant mortality.
The REACH coalition is now continuing their work through the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the U.S. (REACH U.S.) project as a Center for Excellence in Eliminating Disparities.
REACH U.S. builds upon the REACH 2010 Initiative, continuing to focus on reducing disparities in perinatal health and infant mortality. The project is led by the Genesee County Health Department and uses community-based participatory approach to disseminate findings and identify best practices. Partners include the health system, university, county agencies, and community based organizations. The PRC-MI is working with the REACH partners to create a common framework for evaluation and identify best practices.
Genesee County REACH Coalition Members
- Faith Access To Community Economic Development (FACED)
- Flint Odyssey House/Health Awareness Center
- Genesee County Community Action Resource Department (GCCARD)
- Genesee County Health Department [Central Coordinating Organization]
- Genesys Health System
- Greater Flint Health Coalition
- Hurley Medical Center
- Mott Children’s Health Center
- Prevention Research Center of Michigan
- PRIDE Medical Services Committee
- Priority Children
- University of Michigan – School of Public Health
- University of Michigan – Flint
- YOUR Center
Journal Articles
Kruger, D. J., French-Turner, T., & Brownlee, S. (2013). Genesee County REACH windshield tours: Enhancing health professionals understanding of community conditions that influence infant mortality. J Prim Prev, 34(3), 163–172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-013-0301-8
Kruger, D. J., Munsell, M. A., & French-Turner, T. M. (2011). Using a life history framework to understand the relationship between neighborhood structural deterioration and adverse birth outcomes. Journal of Social, Evolutionary and Cultural Psychology, 5(4), 260–274.
Carty, D. C., Kruger, D. J., Turner, T. M., Campbell, B., De Loney, E. H., & Lewis, E. Y. (2011). Racism, health status, and birth outcomes: results of a participatory community-based intervention and health survey. J Urban Health, 88(1), 84–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-010-9530-9
Kannan, S., Webster, D., Sparks, A., Acker, C. M., Greene-Moton, E., Tropiano, E., & Turner, T. (2008). Using a cultural framework to assess the nutrition influences in relation to birth outcomes among African American women of childbearing age: Application of the PEN-3 theoretical model. Health Promotion Practice, 10(3), 349–358.
Selig, S., Tropiano, E., & Greene-Moton, E. (2006). Teaching cultural competence to reduce health disparities. Health Promotion Practice, 7(3 Suppl), 247S-55S.
Hunte, H. E. R., Turner, T. M., Pollack, H. A., & Lewis, E. Y. (2004). A birth records analysis of the Maternal Infant Health Advocate Service program: a paraprofessional intervention aimed at addressing infant mortality in African Americans. Ethnicity & Disease, 14(3 Suppl 1), S102-107.
Pestronk, R. M., & Franks, M. L. (2003). A partnership to reduce African American infant mortality in Genesee County, Michigan. Public Health Reports, 118(4), 324–335. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1497564/
Presentations
Kruger, D. J., Reischl, T. M., Brownlee, S., De Loney, E. H., Campbell, B., & Carty, D. C. (2012, October). Assessing the long-term impact of the Undoing Racism Workshop [Poster]. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Francisco, CA.
Kruger, D. J., Munsell, M. A., French-Turner, T. M., & Brownlee, S. (2012, April). Building a healthy baby: Neighborhood structural deterioration predicts low-weight births. National Health Promotion Summit, Washington, D.C.
Kruger, D. J., Carty, D. C., French-Turner, T. M., & Brownlee, S. (2012, April). Genesee County REACH: Documenting successes in African American infant mortliaty reduction. National Health Promotion Summit, Washington, DC.
Kruger, D. J., Turner, T., Hill, L., Campbell, B., Sparks, A., Dunn, D., Chisom, R., & Turbeville, A. (2010, November). Undoing racism through a community-based African American infant mortality reduction program. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Denver, CO.
Turner, T., Brownlee, S., & Kruger, D. J. (2010, November). On the bench and in the trench: Experiences in an African American infant mortality reduction program. [Paper]. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Denver, CO.
Turbeville, A., Kruger, D. J., French-Turner, T. M., Dunn, D., & Chisom, R. (2010, May). Undoing racism via the REACH U.S. infant mortality reduction initiative [Poster]. Society for Community Research and Action at the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Kruger, D. J., & Turner, T. M. (2010, February). Genesee County, Michigan REACH: A successful African American infant mortality reduction initiative. National Association of African American Studies, Baton Rouge, LA.
Kruger, D. J. (2009, November). Building a healthy baby: Neighborhood structural deterioration predicts low-weight births. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Kruger, D. J., & Turner, T. M. (2009, September). Research and evaluation for a promising infant mortality reduction program [Poster]. International Population Conference of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population, Marrakech, Morocco.
Kruger, D. J., & Munsell, M. (2009, July). Neighborhood structural deterioration is inversely associated with maternal somatic investment [Poster]. meeting of the North Eastern Evolutionary Psychology Society, Oswego, NY.
Kruger, D. J., & Munsell, M. (2009, July). Life History, environmental context, and maternal somatic investment [Poster]. International Society for Human Ethology Summer Institute, Orono, ME.
Kruger, D. J., & Munsell, M. (2009, May). Differential maternal somatic investment in response to local environmental variation in a modern population. Annual Meeting of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Fullerton, CA.
Kruger, D. J., Munsell, M., & Turner, T. (2009, May). Using Geographical Information Systems in an infant mortality reduction initiative [Poster]. special meeting of the Society for Community Research and Action at the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Kruger, D. J. (2008, December). Using Geographical Information Systems for effective health assessment and evaluation. Centers for Disease Control’s REACH U.S. Technical Assistance Workshop, Atlanta, GA.
Kruger, D. J., Turner, T. M., & Munsell, M. (2008, October). Using Geographical Information Systems to facilitate an infant mortality reduction initiative [Poster]. Michigan Premier Public Health Conference, Kalamazoo, MI.
Carty, D. C., Kruger, D. J., Turner, T. M., Campbell, B., De Loney, E. H., & Lewis, Y. (2008, October). Impact of an integrated anti-racism, community mobilization, and infant mortality prevention program on community racial attitudes and health status [Poster]. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Diego, CA.
Kruger, D. J., Carty, D. C., Turner, T. M., Campbell, B., De Loney, E. H., & Lewis, Y. (2008, October). Developing and monitoring system change around social determinants of health: Lessons learned from a successful infant mortality reduction program. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Diego, CA.
Kruger, D. J., Turner, T. M., & Youra, K. (2008, October). Using Geographical Information Systems to facilitate an infant mortality reduction initiative [Poster]. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Diego, CA.
Kruger, D. J., Turner, T., Lewis, Y., & Carty, D. (2008, March). A community partnership designed to reduce disparities in infant mortality [Symposium]. Third Annual Health Disparities Conference, Columbia University, New York, NY.
Kruger, D. J., & Turner, T. (2007, November). Best practices and policy changes in reducing disparities in infant mortality [Poster]. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.
Kruger, D. J., & Turner, T. (2007, November). Documenting effectiveness in a successful infant mortality reduction program. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
Kruger, D. J., Turner, T., & Lewis, Y. (2007, November). The successes of a community partnership designed to reduce disparities in infant mortality. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
Kruger, D. J., Turner, T., & Lewis, Y. (2007, November). Using a community implemented activity to address racial disparities in infant mortality in Genesee County, Michigan [Symposium]. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
Kruger, D. J., & Turner, T. (2007, November). Identifying best practices in a successful program to reduce disparities in infant mortality. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
Kruger, D. J., Turner, T., & Franks, M. (2007, October). Documenting effectiveness in a successful infant mortality disparity reduction community initiative. Michigan Premier Public Health Conference, Dearborn, MI.
Franks, M., & Kruger, D. J. (2007, October). Documenting effectiveness in a successful infant mortality disparity reduction community initiative [Symposium]. Michigan Premier Public Health Conference, Dearborn, MI.
Kruger, D. J., Turner, T., & Lewis, Y. (2007, October). Documenting success in an infant mortality reduction program. Annual Meeting of the Society for Public Health Education, Alexandria, VA.
