Dr. John Ruffin on Disparities in Black Men's Health
Not many people can say they have changed healthcare as we know it, but Dr. John Ruffin, Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) is one who can. A nationally recognized public servant, Dr. Ruffin has spent more than two decades fighting for improved minority health, ensuring that it has the attention of the world’s leading health institutions, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Ruffin’s unrivaled experience led Meharry Medical College to invite Dr. Ruffin to be the keynote speaker at Meharry’s 4th Annual Dr. Lloyd C. Elam Symposium where medical and sociological experts gathered to learn about the disparities in black men’s health and work with Dr. Ruffin to convert ideas into action.Dr. Ruffin explained in detail the federal grants and support available to researchers and noted that there are many underutilized tools to improve healthcare disparities in both academic and community settings. He explained that one of the largest misconceptions about NIH is that the majority of its research is conducted in its Washington-area facilities. In reality, the NIH is Congressionally mandated to keep its on-campus research under 12 percent, making distribution of grants its primary function. This opens up opportunities for research at private institutions, like Meharry.
But research on men’s health, especially within minority communities, is lacking, Dr. Ruffin said. Of the 3000 grants currently given by the NIH only 25 were focused on men’s health. Dr. Ruffin not only stressed the importance of an increased presence of men’s health research in the academic world, but challenged those attending with a simple plea: use these federal funding resources effectively and often.
Dr. Ruffin then explained that NIH also offers alternative funding like loan repayment programs and small business incentives to academics and community leaders focused on making their communities better.