Claflin University working to provide health care to rural areas
ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WCSC) - Claflin University has initiated a new effort aimed at addressing healthcare challenges in rural communities.
People living in rural areas have fewer doctors and fewer specialists, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This research also shows that those who live in rural areas are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer or unintentional injury than their urban counterparts.
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The latest data also shows rural Americans are more likely to smoke cigarettes, have high blood pressure or struggle with obesity.
Students and staff at Claflin University are working to reverse these trends.
Claflin just received a $1.8 million grant to fund this wellness initiative. The CU-DEEP Wellness Initiative focuses on its four pillars of health and wellness: dietary health, economic health, emotional health and physical health. These pillars include three signature programs and four secondary activities aiming to promote and reduce health disparities, while also giving students real-world experience.
This initiative will use Smart HOME technology and artificial intelligence to engage students and community by promoting healthy behaviors, particularly around chronic disease management.
Claflin is a Historically Black College and University. The SC Health Discovery Program is designed to utilize the talent and perspectives of HBCUs to achieve their goal of reducing health disparities. Claflin hopes to use its student population to reach the area’s predominately Black population with programs that will introduce primary health care services to students and the surrounding community.
The university is hoping to tap into its diverse student body to develop a pipeline for minority students to find jobs within the healthcare industry.
Claflin was one of the first selected universities to participate in the SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare’s virtual launch of the SC HBCU Health Discovery Program.
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