Recent Posts

New Issue Brief Shows Health Care is Necessary But Not Sufficient

Quality health care is necessary to improve the health of disadvantaged populations – but it is not enough to eliminate the adverse effects of limited education, says a new policy brief. Released last week by the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Center on Society and Health, the brief features new Kaiser Permanente data and is supported…

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The VCU Center on Society and Health Approved for $1.04 Million Funding Award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

The VCU Center on Society and Health is delighted to announce it has been approved for a $1.04 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to test a new framework, the SEED method, for conceptualizing and prioritizing research questions on health related topics through collaborative, participatory, and consultative stakeholder engagement. These stakeholders…

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Engaging Richmond Moves Research to Action in East End; Recent RPN Community Event and Video Prioritize Mental Well-Being

Since Engaging Richmond identified mental health in 2012 among the top community priorities in the East End of Richmond, the team has continued to partner with Richmond Promise Neighborhood (RPN) to bring resources and information that promote mental well-being to community residents. Among the activities Engaging Richmond has lead in recent months are the production…

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Connecting the Dots Between Education, Health, & Opportunity

In a new blog post, Center director Dr. Steve Woolf describes the environmental factors that influence the complex relationship between education and health. Not only do school, home, and neighborhood conditions affect a child’s learning opportunities and ability to perform in class, but poor health resulting from an unhealthy environment can also interfere with education….

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Albert Walker Speaks at VSU 8th Annual Community Forum

Albert Walker, Community-Academic Liaison for the Center on Society and Health, served as a panelist for the 8th Annual Community Forum held Saturday, June 14th at Virginia State University (VSU). The Forum was designed to enlighten the general public regarding issues linked to poverty and school aged children; to enhance the understanding of those tasked with…

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In Remembrance of Frances

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague, Frances Dumenci. Frances served as public relations manager for the Center for Clinical and Translational Research and as VCU Medical Center chief of bureau. She was extremely dedicated to her work, and also managed the local public relations activities of…

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New Policy Brief and Video Explore the Complex Connections Between Education and Health

The links between education and health are complex, and tied closely to income and to the opportunities people have to lead healthy lives in their communities says a new policy brief and video released today by the VCU Center on Society and Health, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The brief and video…

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Guest Post: A Six Hour Drive Away, Life is 18 Years Shorter

Laudan Aron is a senior research associate in the Urban Institute’s Labor, Human Services and Population center. In this post, borrowed from the Urban Institute’s Metro Trends blog, she provides an overview of a recent New York Times article and discusses the important connections between income and health. Last Sunday, the New York Times business…

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Engaging Richmond Team Members Present at Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in Baltimore

Engaging Richmond presented Behind the Scenes: Invisible Work in Community-Based Research at the Eastern Sociological Annual Meeting held in Baltimore, Maryland on February 20-23, 2014. Among those presenting at the conference were Engaging Richmond researchers Chanel Bea, Amber Haley, Brenda Kenney, Chimere Miles, Toni Mitchell, Sara Moore, Andrea Robles, Marco Thomas, Albert Walker, and Emily…

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Debate Participation and Student Achievement: Theory, Evidence, and Implementation

Released this January, the first phase of the Center’s Education and Health Initiative highlights the growing importance of educational attainment to lifelong health. Given how strong an indicator education is for one’s health, it is important to look for ways of improving educational attainment, as this may be an effective way of improving health outcomes…

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