CDC REACH
The CHDIS currently houses a REACH project funded by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). In 2018, Eastern Michigan University was one of 31 recipients in the nation, and the only one solely focused on the priority population of Asian Americans in Michigan. In this five-year initiative, our team in CHDIS aims to reduce chronic disease burdens experienced by Asian Americans by working with our state-wide coalition to identify contributors of health disparities among Asian Americans and implement policy, system, and environment change strategies to improve nutrition, physical activity, and community-clinical linkages. In nutrition domain, we’re working with food systems (for example, grocery stores, local food pantry) to increase healthy food offering. In Physical activity domain, we’re using geography information system (known as GIS) to map factors influencing individual’s’ physical activity pattern and build Activity-Friendly Communities. In community clinical linkages we are connecting Asian Americans to appropriate and locally available health programs which they have not utilized before.