This announcement solicits new and competitive continuation applications for the FY 2017 Centers of Excellence (COE) program.  Program Purpose The Centers of Excellence program, hereafter referred to as COE, is authorized by Section 736 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the Patient

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Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L.

111-148).

Although there have been marked improvements in the health status of all citizens in the United States, racial and ethnic health disparities in disease, death and disability persist.  At a time when the nation’s population continues to become more racially and ethnically diverse, its healthcare workforce has been unable to keep pace with these changes.  Diversity in the healthcare workforce is necessary to achieve the goal of high-quality, safe, and accessible care.  Health workforce diversity has also been linked to improvements in health care delivery, increased cultural competence and increased patient satisfaction 1.   Thus, a significant and substantial increase in a diverse and culturally competent health professions workforce will contribute to effectively and efficiently addressing the healthcare needs of underrepresented minority (URM) populations.  The COE program addresses this need[1].

The COE program award recipients serve as innovative resource and education centers to recruit, train, and retain URM students and faculty at health professions schools.

 Programs will improve information resources, clinical education, curricula, and cultural competence as they relate to minority health issues and social determinants of health.

 These award recipients also focus on facilitating faculty and student research on health issues particularly affecting URM groups.

 The ultimate goal of the program is to strengthen the national capacity to produce a quality healthcare workforce who’s racial and ethnic diversity is representative of the U. S. population.