Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Digital Subscription
    • Advertisement
    • Contact Us
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Tennessee TribuneThe Tennessee Tribune
    Advertise With Us
    • Home
      • COVID-19 Resource Center
        • Dr. Henry Louis Gates’ PSA Radio
      • Featured
    • News
      • State
      • Local
      • National/International News
      • Global
      • Business
        • Commentary
        • Finance
        • Local Business
      • Investigative Stories
        • Affordable Housing
        • DCS Investigation
        • Gentrification
    • Editorial
      • National Politics
      • Local News
      • Local Editorial
      • Political Editorial
      • Editorial Cartoons
      • Cycle of Shame
    • Community
      • History
      • Tennessee
        • Chattanooga
        • Clarksville
        • Knoxville
        • Memphis
      • Public Notices
      • Women
        • Let’s Talk with Ms. June
    • Education
      • College
        • American Baptist College
        • Belmont University
        • Fisk
        • HBCU
        • Meharry
        • MTSU
        • University of Tennessee
        • TSU
        • Vanderbilt
      • Elementary
      • High School
    • Lifestyle
      • Art
      • Auto
      • Tribune Travel
      • Entertainment
        • 5 Questions With
        • Books
        • Events
        • Film Review
        • Local Entertainment
      • Family
      • Food
        • Drinks
      • Health & Wellness
      • Home & Garden
      • Featured Books
    • Religion
      • National Religion
      • Local Religion
      • Obituaries
        • National Obituaries
        • Local Obituaries
      • Faith Commentary
    • Sports
      • MLB
        • Sounds
      • NBA
      • NCAA
      • NFL
        • Predators
        • Titans
      • NHL
      • Other Sports
      • Golf
      • Professional Sports
      • Sports Commentary
      • Metro Sports
    • Media
      • Video
      • Photo Galleries
      • Take 10
      • Trending With The Tribune
    • Classified
    • Obituaries
      • Local Obituaries
      • National Obituaries
    The Tennessee TribuneThe Tennessee Tribune
    Health & Wellness

    The Jackson Heart Study Helps to Build Trust in the African American Community in the Battle Against COVID-19

    Article submittedBy Article submittedFebruary 17, 2022No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Pinterest Tumblr Reddit Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Victor Sutton, Ph.D., MPPA OPHHE, Director and Principal Investigator

    Accustomed to being last, Mississippi is rewriting its health narrative and has emerged as a national leader in health equity. Recently, Mississippi was recognized as 1 of only 10 states where Black residents have a higher vaccination rate than white residents. Black Mississippians represent 38% of the state’s population, yet comprise 39% of Mississippi’s fully vaccinated population. In a recent Mississippi State Department of Health / Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Research Study, 35% of the study’s nearly 12,000 respondents were Black. Nearly 4% of the total survey respondents identified as Latino (3.4% of the state is Latino). Mississippians of all colors are being heard and served.

    This work is largely being driven by strong community-based partnerships with Mississippi’s State Department of Health Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity (OPHHE), which includes the NHLBI-funded community engagement center for the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) (the world’s largest single-site, African-American, prospective cardiovascular cohort study), the NHLBI-funded CEAL (Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities), as well as the CDC-funded Delta Health Collaborative. Victor Sutton, Ph.D. MPPA serves as OPHHE Director as well as Principal Investigator to all aforementioned grants. He has made his team’s mission clear: to eliminate heart health inequities (among other chronic diseases) and to lead the state’ Black, Hispanic, and racial-ethnic minority communities through the COVID-19 Pandemic, as well as the state’s cardiovascular epidemic.

    In Mississippi, more people die of cardiovascular illnesses than cancer or other chronic conditions. In fact, 20% more Black Americans than any other race die from heart disease each year. The JHS has made significant progress in changing these statistics. By working with barbershops, churches, historically black colleges and universities, and other champions of the Black community, JHS is ensuring the state leverages the strengths of all its “village” members. For the last 20 years, the focus of the landmark JHS study has been heart health. Since the pandemic’s onset, the JHS team has devoted tremendous effort, resources, and countless hours to protect vulnerable Mississippians against the deadly Coronavirus. Dr. Sutton remarks, “the greatest tragedy of this pandemic is that people are needlessly dying, when there is a vaccine that can make the difference between life and death.”

    JHS, the Delta Health Collaborative, and CEAL have provided life-saving services by joining hand-in-hand with the  local community, including non-profits, faith-based organizations, private businesses, colleges, and universities. In the early stages of the pandemic, the MSDH Health Equity team took the initiative to establish mask and personal protective equipment giveaways with groups across Mississippi. By partnering with HBCUs, such as Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, Tougaloo College, and Mississippi Valley State University, vaccinations and COVID-19 testing sites were made accessible to Black and Hispanic communities across the state. Through programs like “Shots in Shops,”  the MSDH Health Equity team has worked to reach underserved segments of the population by building trust, providing education, and bringing vaccinations and protective equipment to where the people are– a paradigm shift from asking the public to come to the shots.

    We have partnered with local minority firms, Par’ Excelon Marketing Group and Red Squared Productions, to implement statewide Black-relevant grassroots marketing and production strategies to reach the Black community. These efforts empowered the state’s communities of color, reaching more individuals across the state and ensuring Mississippi residents have the tools they need to make informed decisions.

    The fruits of these initiatives are blossoming, as Mississippi now leads the nation in proportion of African Americans who are vaccinated against the COVID-19. Nearly 1.3 million vaccinations have been administered in Mississippi’s African American community. More than 600 thousand have received at least one dose.

    The MSDH Health Equity team is dedicated to keeping Mississippians alive and healthy. We are listening to your heart and your mind. If your organization would like to host a COVID-19 vaccination event or needs additional protective equipment, please do not hesitate to contact us at 601-206-1720 or through our online resource request form or community vaccine request form. Visit our website at jacksonheartstudy.org.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Article submitted

    Related Posts

    I upended my life to take care of mama. It was one of the best decisions I ever made

    January 9, 2025

    Studies suggest shingles vaccines may reduce dementia risk

    October 17, 2024

    Addressing rising suicide rates among Black youth

    July 25, 2024

    Nashville General expanding access to incentive program

    July 18, 2024

    Survey reveals racism’s toll on health care

    July 11, 2024

    Biden Slams Trump’s Dangerous Policies, Defends Social Security and Medicare

    July 2, 2024

    Comments are closed.

    Business

    Charlotte Knight Griffin Takes Office as TBA President-Elect

    June 30, 2025

    EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: President Joe Biden Commemorating Juneteenth

    June 19, 2025

    FUNdraising Good Times Report from Neighborhoods USA Conference in Jacksonville

    June 4, 2025
    1 2 3 … 384 Next
    Education
    Education

    Austin Peay’s MPH program receives $27K for childhood literacy initiative. Community LIFT Project to be implemented at Head Start centers this fall

    By Ethan SteinquestJune 30, 2025

    CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s Master of Public Health program is on a…

    TSU, State, reach agreement to reallocate $96M to school

    June 26, 2025

    TSU student lands prestigious internship at Harvard Medical School

    June 25, 2025

    FAMU stakeholders file lawsuit to prevent Marva Johnson’s confirmation as the university’s 13th President

    June 21, 2025
    The Tennessee Tribune
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • About Us
    • Digital Subscription
    • Store
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact
    © 2025 The Tennessee Tribune - Site Designed by No Regret Media.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Our Spring Sale Has Started

    You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/