The project titled ‘Leveraging a Community-Driven Approach to Address the Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Structural Inequities Among Miami-Dade County’s Intergenerational LGBTQ+ Community’, is dedicated to understanding and addressing the factors that affect the health of the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and more or other identities) sexual and gender minority (SGM) community in Miami-Dade County (MDC), including access to culturally appropriate healthcare and inclusive social services and programs. The project is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund, (Award Number 1OT2OD035935-01).
“What makes this project unique is that we’ll work closely with our intergenerational LGBTQIA+ community, from youth to older adults, to co-design and implement place-based structural interventions that meet their needs,” said Gattamorta.
The project kicks off immediately with a two-year planning phase during which the UHP and SONHS teams will collaborate with members of the LGBTQIA+ community and a local Health Equity Research Assembly (HERA)—a broad, multi-sectorial network of SGM advocacy partner organizations—to develop the specific interventions that the project will implement in subsequent years.
At the heart of the project is its community-centered approach and its core collaboration with community partners UHP, SAVE Foundation, and Health Council of South Florida, including two academic partners—the SONHS and the University of Florida.
“This project exemplifies the value of community and academic partnerships as it uplifts community expertise to co-design action research that will have a real impact on the health and quality of life of the LGBTQIA+ community,” said UHP executive director and CEO Andrea Iglesias, Psy.D., who is also the project’s Principal Investigator.
Gattamorta will use a mixed method, longitudinal approach to develop a sustainable shared data system—including a data dashboard—that looks at demographics specific to Miami-Dade’s LGBTQIA+ population and indicators across multiple domains to assess the project’s long-term impact. Over the project’s ten-year span, several SONHS Ph.D. in Nursing students will have the opportunity to acquire specialized, community-based research skills as project research assistants under Gattamorta’s mentorship.
“There is a dearth of local data about the LGBTQIA+ community, which creates barriers in designing and implementing appropriate health equity interventions,” said Iglesias. “This partnership allows us to collect and disseminate data that will better equip us all to address the unique needs of the LGBTQIA+ community while ensuring that the community guides us every step of the way.”
“Dr. Gattamorta brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in working with the LGBTQIA+ community, and her statistical analysis background will guide project data collection and dissemination,” added Janiece Davis, M.P.H., the UHP’s Age-Friendly & Health Equity Program Manager, who will serve as Project Director for the UHP-ComPASS project. “She’ll ensure the study is designed in a manner that will both gather data relevant to the population and develop interventions that positively impact health and well-being.”
Through its broad-based community network and academic partnerships, the project is uniquely positioned to make a vital contribution to Miami-Dade’s LGBTQIA+ community over the next decade.
“This project will have a significant impact on the health disparities faced by SGM individuals in Miami-Dade—disparities that are strongly linked to our targeted social determinants of health,” said Gattamorta. “By working closely with the community, we’ll develop indispensable knowledge that can inform current and future research, policies, programming and funding priorities, and lead to positive health outcomes for our LGBTQIA+ community across the lifespan.”
For more information, please contact:
Rosa Lamazares-Romero
Director, University Communications
School of Nursing and Health Studies
rmlromero@miami.edu
Tel: 305-284-6255
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About the School of Nursing and Health Studies:
Celebrating its 75th Year of Educational Excellence, the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) transforms lives and health care through education, research, innovation, and service across the hemisphere. SONHS has grown from South Florida’s first collegiate nursing program in 1948 to a world-class research-driven school conferring undergraduate and advanced degrees in nursing, as well as bachelor’s degrees in public health and health science. SONHS values its diverse faculty, students, and 250+ clinical and community health partners. The school’s research core includes a PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre, the Center for Latino Health Research Opportunities, a Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Training Program, and its 41,000-square-foot Simulation Hospital Advancing Research and Education (S.H.A.R.E.™). For more information, visit sonhs.miami.edu.
About Urban Health Partnerships:
Urban Health Partnerships’ mission is to invest in our communities by co-designing sustainable change and promoting equity and well-being across the lifespan. Since 2011, UHP has distinguished itself in its leadership in collective impact initiatives and by emphasizing community empowerment and integration. UHP brings a unique lens to place-based initiatives as its multidisciplinary team integrates perspectives in public and mental health, urban planning, age-friendly communities, food access, community development and engagement, and health equity to implement change. To learn more about UHP’ impact view the 2022 annual report here, or visit urbanhp.org.
