Center for Health Equity Research (CHER)
Our Center supports the belief that everyone should have a fair opportunity to attain her or his full health potential; no one should be at a disadvantage to achieve this potential; and all individuals should have equal access to available care for equal need, equal utilization for equal need, and equal quality of care for all (Whitehead, 1992). Our focus on health equity is compatible with our desire to promote health disparity research. Health disparities are unequal opportunities to be healthy associated with membership in less privileged social groups, such as people who live in poverty; people who are incarcerated; disenfranchised racial, ethnic, or religious groups or communities; women; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals and communities; people who migrate to obtain employment; inner city dwellers; and rural residents.