The Marshall MHI works to reduce health disparities for the underserved in West Virginia.
When Dr. Anthony Woart founded the Minority Health Institute (MHI) while a sociology professor at Bluefield State College in the early 2000s, he had one goal in mind: understand the extent of health disparities in West Virginia, particularly the rate of breast cancer among African American women compared to their white counterparts. He would spend 20 years at Bluefield State College before joining Marshall University.
Born and raised in the West African nation of Liberia, Woart earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Liberia’s College of Agriculture and Forestry. He then came to the United States to attend Jackson State University in Mississippi, where he earned two master’s degrees in business administration and sociology. After that, he enrolled in a doctoral program at Boston University, where he earned a Ph.D., specializing in medical sociology with a subspecialty in complex organizations.
Today, as professor and chair of Marshall’s Department of Public Health in the College of Health Professions, Woart continues the work he launched with the MHI two decades ago. It began with a 2003 research project to examine the demographics of students who attended Bluefield State, a historically Black college. As a result of the project, Woart uncovered startling facts that set him on a course of health-equity discovery in the Mountain State.
“I learned that not only was the rate of breast cancer among African American women disproportionately higher compared to their white counterparts in West Virginia, but they also received a late diagnosis,” Woart recalled.
For his research, he considered specific social determinants such as age, household income, frequency of mammograms and breast self-exams and family history of breast cancer, to name a few. After sharing his findings with the National Institutes of Health, he secured a $1 million grant to further his research for a second year.
In 2018 he was named chair of the Department of Public Health in the College of Health Professions at Marshall. In Huntington Woart found a new home to align the work being done at the MHI with both public health and academics. The mission of the collaborative effort is to address health disparities and health equity among West Virginia’s minority and underserved populations.
The staff for the MHI currently occupies four office spaces within the university’s Department of Public Health. An integral part of Woart’s team is LaDawna Walker-Dean, coordinator for the West Virginia Minority Health Initiative. She has been involved in several health advocacy initiatives and community education projects over the past four years, including COVID-19 vaccination education awareness projects. As an African American woman and Huntington native, the mission of the MHI is very personal to her.
“It is especially important to achieve health equity and reduce the burdens of health disparities among the minority and underserved populations, as well as to strengthen and improve access to health care through education, resource development, research and community partnerships,” Walker-Dean noted.
Although the MHI is funded entirely through various grants, it also collaborates with government entities, policymakers, health care providers and other supporters through partnerships, including the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Public Health, UNICARE Health Plan of West Virginia and the Cabell-Huntington Health Department. All of these entities work together to raise funds to support work at the institute.
As one of the poorest states in the country, West Virginia has a median household income of $46,000. This affects a family’s economic stability and undoubtedly impacts the overall health of those who are most vulnerable. In every category representing the most common chronic diseases among West Virginians — heart disease, diabetes and hypertension — African Americans are disproportionately impacted.
“Although the total population of African Americans stands at 3.6% among the state’s 1.7 million people, the number of those residents with diabetes is alarming,” Woart said. “Nearly 6.7% of African Americans in West Virginia have diabetes, which is disproportionately higher than any other racial category of the same population.”
An important aspect of the MHI’s work involves research and data that are often aggregated and shared with other health agencies, policymakers and government institutions, including the National Institutes of Health. Secondary data from sources like the Centers for Disease Control are also shared with policymakers.
The ongoing pandemic crisis has not only amplified the health care needs among minority and underserved populations, but also exposed the health disparities that exist among those populations.
“In order to make informed decisions around strategy, funding and allocation of resources, it is imperative that we focus on key issues and share what we learn with others,” Woart said.
Early in the pandemic crisis, there was unambiguous evidence that those most vulnerable to COVID-19 include African Americans and underserved populations who often have limited access to quality health care, adequate housing and well-paying jobs. “What once may have gone unnoticed by health care professionals and government officials has now been brought into the light and we cannot ignore it. A healthy society is one in which we all have access to quality health care,” said Woart.
To ensure the long-term success of the MHI, Woart said it is imperative that additional funding support comes from the state level.
“We have prioritized the Minority Health Profile to assist policymakers in understanding the plight of minorities in West Virginia. My hope is that the Legislature will create a line-item budget item to address minority health issues and support the work of the MHI, so that we have dedicated resources that we can count on from year to year.”
In addition, Woart wants to explore ways the MHI can officially become a part of Marshall’s nontraditional institutionalized programs.
“It’s important for the institute to be strategically aligned and integrated into the Marshall University system as a fully functioning organization, so that we have a more seamless partnership,” Woart explained.
For LaDawna Walker-Dean, the impact of the work she is doing at the MHI is extremely rewarding.
“What we are accomplishing at MHI keeps me engaged and ready to roll up my sleeves every day,” she said. “For me, the most important aspect of the job is to help be the voice of the minorities and underserved populations in West Virginia.”
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About the Author: Shelly Ridgeway is a freelance writer living in Huntington, West Virginia.
Photo: The MHI staff work to improve and protect the health and well-being of racial and ethnic minorities. From left are Vanessa Alagah, health education specialist; Dr. Anthony Woart, founder and director; LaDawna E. Walker-Dean, minority health coordinator; and Jonathan Lung, program staff member.