Training Sites
University Of Michigan School Of Public Health
Contact Information
School of Public Health
Voice: 734-936-1316
Fax: 734-764-4338
Department of Health Management and Policy
109 Observatory
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029
Director: Richard Lichtenstein
Director: Richard Lichtenstein, PhD, MPH
Richard Lichtenstein, Ph.D. is director of the University of Michigan Training Site. Dr. Lichtenstein is an associate professor of Health Management and Policy. He received both his M.P.H. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in medical care organization, and a B.S. from Cornell University in industrial and labor relations.
Dr. Lichtenstein is currently the co-principal investigator of the CDC-funded Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center, which is working with several community-based groups in Detroit to conduct intervention research projects. He led an effort to enroll uninsured children in the Community Health Insurance Program and Medicaid using an innovative learning technology for parents. He is also working on a project related to discrimination in the health care system. Dr. Lichtenstein is also the director of the University of Michigan's Summer Enrichment Program in Health Management for undergraduate students interested in eliminating health disparities.
[back to top]Academic Resources
Faculty mentors from each of the School's departments: Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Behavior and Health Education and Health Management and Policy; participation in various seminar series; courses in topics such as community-based participatory research, community organization and needs assessment; opportunities for working with faculty on community-based participatory research partnerships, and writing and publishing in peer-reviewed journals. The School of Public Health also maintains an Office of Community-Based Public Health whose role is to facilitate opportunities for students and faculty members to link-up with community partners as part of their class work and to conduct community-based participatory research projects.
[back to top]Community Resources
The University of Michigan School of Public Health has a long history of collaboration with a number of community-based organizations and several health departments in Michigan, including those in Detroit, Wayne County, Genesee County and other areas of the state. Settings for community-based participatory research include the following:
(1) The Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center (URC) is a collaborative partnership, established in 1995, involving the University of Michigan Schools of Public Health, Nursing, and Social Work, the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, eight community-based organizations (Community Health and Social Services Center [CHASS], Communities In Schools, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Friends of Parkside, Latino Family Services, Neighborhood Service Organization, Warren/Conner Development Coalition), and Henry Ford Health System. The overall goal of the URC is to promote and support interdisciplinary, collaborative, community-based participatory research that both improves the health and quality of life of families and communities on the east and southwest sides of Detroit, and contributes to the understanding of the relationship between social determinants, protective factors, intermediate outcomes, and long-term health outcomes specific to inner-city, urban environments. Current URC projects include: The Eastside Village Health Worker Partnership/Healthy Connections; LA VIDA Partnership (violence prevention); REACH Detroit Partnership (Diabetes); Community Action Against Asthma; Healthy MOMs [Healthy Mothers on the Move] (obesity and pregnancy); The Healthy Environments Partnership/Lean and Green in Motown (obesity and the built environment)/Community Approaches to Cardiovascular Health (CATCH); Promoting Healthy Eating in Detroit; and, Neighborhoods Working in Partnership: Building Capacity for Policy Change. Please see http://www.sph.umich.edu/urc/projects/ for details.
(2) The Prevention Research Center of Michigan (PRC/MI) was established in 1998 and is currently one of 33 Prevention Research Centers nationwide, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a partnership among the University of Michigan School of Public Health, six community-based organizations, the Genesee County Health Department, the Greater Flint Health Coalition, the Michigan Department of Community Health and statewide health services and advocacy organizations. The PRC/MI strives to embody excellence in public health research, practice and policy through long-term partnerships based on trust and equality. The Center conducts community-based, participatory prevention research aimed at improving health status and reducing morbidity and mortality among populations experiencing a disproportionate share of poor health outcomes. Current projects include: ACTS of Wellness Colorectal Cancer Screening; Community Capacity Building to Reduce Health Disparities; Enhancing Adolescent Behaviors through Strengthening Father-Son Relationships; Genesee County REACH 2010 (infant mortality); Flint Adolescent Study; Friendly Access and the Friendly Access Infant Mortality Initiative; Improving Cancer Outcomes of African Americans in Michigan; and Youth Empowerment Solutions for Peaceful Communities. The PRC/MI also conducts the "Speak to Your Health Community Survey", a biannual study of Genesee County residents' perceptions of their health and their community. Please see http://www.sph.umich.edu/prc/ for details.
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