National Minority Health Month
The AAFP has worked with the Office of Minority Health for more than 15 years on clinical recommendations and practice ideas that can help family physicians improve care for minority patients and underserved communities.
Our focus on addressing health equity and disparities, and improving health outcomes for minority populations, ties directly to National Minority Health Month. This annual observance in April – which addresses the health needs of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans and other minorities – provides an opportunity to elevate AAFP member voices and discuss issues that negatively impact patient and community health. We're also sharing content that supports Public Health Week (April 5-11) and Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17), and highlighting advocacy efforts during Healthcare.Gov's Latino Week of Action (April 18-24).
As a national health care organization who’s consistently reinforced the importance of preventive health, this year's theme – #VaccineReady – also allows us to offer information that reinforces how vaccines impact health outcomes and builds trust in family medicine. The Discrepancies in Vaccine Uptake: What’s Really at Work? blog by an AAFP Health Equity Fellow is just one example.
“It is extremely important for us as family physicians to understand that it is not about social economic status, but also the chronic discrimination that continues to occur every day.” - Santina Wheat, M.D.
AAFP Member Stories
Our family physicians are doing incredible work to address health equity issues and serve minority patients. In April, we're putting their voices at the center, because it's those stories - on the front lines of primary care - that really pave the way for change.
Jerry Abraham
Giving Health Equity a Fair Shot: A Model for Vaccine Distribution
Brittney Anderson
Discrepancies in Vaccine Uptake: What’s Really at Work?
Shoba Belegundu
Let’s Achieve Health Equity by Teaching Future FPs
Emmeline Ha
Resident Helped Open Her School’s Family Medicine Pipeline
Roma Amin
State Leader Found Her Niche in Academic Medicine
Christen Johnson
AAFP Fellow Aims for Major Impact on Health Equity
Robert Rock
Resident Has Passion for Health Justice
Daniel Neghassi
NYC Doc Making Connections, Change Through Advocacy Work
Other Information You Can Use
We Still Have Work to Do
An important way for AAFP to honor NMHM is to recognize that we still have work to do to address racism and inequalities in patient care. We are focused on improving existing health care processes that negatively affect minority communities. Our advocacy is critical to ensure the health care system works for everyone.
Browse the topics below for resources you can use to support your practice.