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Since its inception in 1986, the ISHIB awards program has honored dozens of individuals and organization for their unique contributions to medical research and community outreach. The following 2003 award winners will be honored during a special ceremony on December 7 during ISHIB2003 in Accra, Ghana.

Distinguished Researcher - Francesco P. Cappuccio, MD, MSc
With over 100 publications to his credit, Dr. Cappuccio exemplifies a researcher whose broad reach across ethnic populations addresses population-based questions and strategies within developed and developing countries. His research crosses basic science and clinical disciplines and includes an important behavioral component to aid in understanding the outcomes. Dr. Cappuccio is involved with the Wandsworth Heart and Stroke Study (WHSS), The Stroke Prevention Study in West Africa, and The Eat for Life Project.

Student Health Professional - Lynsey Emmett, MSc
In a full-time training post at St. George's Hospital Medical School in London, Ms. Emmett is pursuing her interest in the epidemiology of noncommunicable disease in developing countries, specifically the challenges and practicalities of hypertension management. Ms. Emmett has also trained at the University of Oxford and the University of East Anglia, Norwitch. She is presently involved with a community-based study of health promotion in the Ashanti region of Ghana.

Community Service - Dan River Region Cardiovascular Health Initiative Program (DR CHIP)
DR CHIP is a nonprofit community-based cardiovascular health program located in Southside, Va. Begun in 2000 with the goal of reducing the region's high cardiovascular mortality, DR CHIP provides community cardiovascular screening and referral, CME for healthcare providers, public education, and a unique middle-school cardiovascular health-education program.

ISHIB2003

December 7-10, 2003

Abstract submittal deadline: August 14

While remarkable progress has been made in reducing barriers to care facing ethnic minority Americans, they continue to experience unequal access to the many advances made in medical technology and basic health services. As part of their commitment to ongoing research into access to care for vulnerable populations, the Kaiser Family Foundation has released an updated edition of the report, Key Facts: Race, Ethnicity & Medical Care (publication #6069), which was last published in 1999.

This chartbook is intended to serve as a quick reference on racial and ethnic disparities in health, health insurance coverage and health care access and quality. It highlights the best available data and research and provides a selective review of the literature. Topics include: demographics, health status, patterns of health insurance coverage, access to primary and preventive care, and use of specialty care for selected health conditions. This publication is available online at http://www.kff.org/content/2003/6069.

Children, adolescents, and adults reported adopting healthier behaviors after participating in a Hearts N' Parks program, according to a new report on the community-based lifestyle initiative. In addition, adults said they boosted their level of regular physical activity after the program. Hearts N' Parks was developed in 1999 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to reduce the growing trend of obesity and the risk of coronary heart disease in the United States.

Hearts N' Parks incorporates science-based information about lifestyle choices that can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and skills for adopting heart-healthy behaviors into regular activities offered by park and recreation departments and other community-based agencies. The program focuses on encouraging Americans of all ages to aim for a healthy weight, follow a heart-healthy eating plan, and engage in regular physical activity. Training for recreational staff and tools for measuring the impact of their activities is provided.

For contact information on the Hearts N' Parks magnet center in your area, contact the NHLBI communications office at 301.496.4236.

To combat what it calls a crisis in the health of African-American men, the National Medical Association (NMA) has begun a year-long program to address health disparities in African-American men with a focus on prostate disease. Over the coming year, the association plans to focus on other diseases disproportionately affecting African-American men.

"We cannot continue to lose fathers and grandfathers," said L. Natalie Carroll, president of the NMA, which represents about 25,000 African-American physicians nationwide. The prostate campaign will focus on education, improving access to health care, and increasing public involvement.

The Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. (ABC) honored Dr. Elijah Saunders at their Fourth Annual Testimonial Banquet on August 1. The exciting event commemorated the distinguished achievements and numerous contributions Dr. Saunders has made in the field of cardiology.

Dr. Saunders is a founding member, past chairman of the board and past president of the ABC; immediate past president, current chairman of the board, and founder of both ISHIB and the (former) Urban Cardiology Research Center, Inc., (Baltimore, MD). He is the co-founder of Heart House of the American College of Cardiology; a charter member of the American Society of Hypertension; past president of the Maryland High Blood Pressure Coordinating Council; former commissioner of the Maryland High Blood Pressure Commission; and chairman, Maryland Advisory Council on High Blood Pressure and related Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

The ABC plans to establish a medical scholarship named in Dr. Saunders's honor.