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• Educational Objectives
• Principal Audience
• Sponsorship & Accreditation
• Presenting Faculty
• Faculty Disclosures
• Successful Completion of this CNE Activity
• Conflicts of Interest
• Commercial Company Support
• Noncommercial Company Support
• Non-Endorsement of Products
• Off-Label Product Use

Addressing and Understanding Healthcare Disparities

Health disparities refer to the differences in health and health care between groups of people. Health disparities disproportionately affect the morbidity and mortality of diseases according to someone’s race, culture, environment, sex, age, socioeconomic status, etc. This online CME program will provide an insight into the definition of health disparities, the causes and methods to address them. The speaker will define the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services standards (CLAS) as outlined by the National Office of Minority Health. Also they will discuss how to use CLAS as a way to improve cultural competency and therefore reducing health disparities

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, each learner should be able to:

	•	Recall the issue of healthcare disparities.
	•	Recognize the importance of addressing healthcare disparities.
	•	Identify causes of healthcare disparities.
	•	Express strategies for eliminating healthcare disparities.

Principal Audience

This activity is intended for primary care physicians and health care professionals in primary care.

Sponsorship & Accreditation

This program is sponsored by the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP) and made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Health & Wellness Trust Fund.

This activity has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 3 Prescribed credit(s) by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Of these credits, 1.5 conform(s) to the AAFP criteria for evidence-based CME clinical content. CME credit has been increased to reflect 2 for 1 credit for only the EB CME portion. AAFP accreditation begins 6/1/09. The term of approval is for two year(s) from this date with option for yearly renewal. When reporting AAFP credit, report total Prescribed credit for this activity. It is not necessary to label credit as evidence-based CME for reporting purposes.

The EB CME credit awarded for this activity was based on practice recommendations that were the most current with the strongest level of evidence available at the time this activity was approved. Since clinical research is ongoing, AAFP recommends that learners verify sources and review these and other recommendations prior to implementation into practice.

AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed credit, not as Category 1.

This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the North Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Presenting Faculty

John R. Smith, Jr., MD Regional Medical Director Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC

After residency, Dr. Smith worked at C.W. Williams Community Health Center in Charlotte, NC from 1989-1994. He then worked for Kaiser Permanente (HMO) in the Charlotte/Gastonia and Raleigh service areas where he served as Adult Medicine lead & FP chief. From 2001-2006, Dr. Smith worked at Wake Med with Wake Med Faculty Physicians where he served as Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic Director. He served on A4 Healthmatics (EMR) Advisory Board representative and as the AAFP CME Reviewer. Dr. Smith joined BSBSNC in 2006 as a Medical Director. He has served on various committees and a member of the Diversity Council where he serves on the Healthcare Disparity Subcommittee.


Faculty Disclosures

This presenter has returned a disclosure form indicating that he has does not have a financial interest in or affiliation with a commercial supporter or providers discussed during this program. No content of material in this CME activity will include the discussion of unapproved or investigational uses of products or devices.

Successful Completion of this Continuing Nursing Education Activity:

In order to receive full contact-hour credit for this CNE activity, you must:

	•	Register for this activity.
	•	Take the pre-test.
	•	Complete the entire Power Point slide set.
	•	Take the post-test and evaluation.

Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual has an opportunity to affect educational content about healthcare products or services of a commercial company with which she/he has a financial relationship.

The planners and presenter of this CNE activity have disclosed no relevant financial relationships with any commercial companies pertaining to this activity.

Commercial Company Support

There is no commercial company support for this CNE activity.

Noncommercial Company Support

There is no noncommercial company support for this CNE activity.

Non-Endorsement of Products

The American Nurses Association’s accredited provider status refers only to continuing nursing education activities and does not imply that there is real or implied endorsement of any product, service or company referred to in this activity nor of any company subsidizing costs related to the activity.

Off-Label Product Use

This CNE activity does not include any unannounced information about off-label use of a product for a purpose other than that for which it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).