Five New Grantees Advance Equity-Focused Health Innovations

New York, NY (September 24, 2024) — The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation today announced five grants of $50,000 each from the Hillman Emergent Innovation (HEI) program to support bold, early-stage interventions designed to improve the health and healthcare of marginalized populations.

“Nursing is often at the forefront of pioneering efforts to advance health equity,” said Ahrin Mishan, Executive Director of The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation. “From developing new partnerships between clinicians and the community to creatively deploying cutting-edge technologies, our 2024 grantees continue nursing’s long tradition of breaking new ground in the pursuit of improving health outcomes for all.”

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HEI Grantees Drive Innovative Approaches

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The 2024 HEI awards will launch a diverse set of programs across the United States to address significant health and healthcare problems in new ways. This year’s recipients are:

• Developing a Model of Care for Victims of Law Enforcement Violence
  There are limited healthcare interventions specifically designed to meet the needs of people affected by law enforcement violence. Led by forensic nurses who are also experts in social justice and health equity, this project will test the feasibility of a new care model through a pilot program, outline a research agenda for implementation, and investigate policy opportunities to expand program access for victims of police violence.
  Principal Investigators: Maija Anderson, DNP, APRN, FNE-A/P, and Jacqueline Callari-Robinson, RN, BSN, SANE-A, SANE- P, D-F IAFN, Morgan State University
  
  
• My Birth Preferences: An Evidence-Informed, Patient-Centered Decision Aid To Reduce Bias and Promote Equity in Perinatal Care
  There is an urgent need to improve the quality of care for Black birthing people, yet providers often lack sufficient tools and training to engage expectant families in person-centered decision-making. This project seeks to center the voices of marginalized birthing people by developing and testing a patient decision aid, My Birth Preferences, which explains evidence-based labor and birth options and gathers preferences prior to hospital admission.
  Principal Investigator: Kari Radoff, MSN, CNM, FACNM, Boston Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  
  
• Integrating Chatbot Technology with Augmented Reality to Promote HIV Testing Among Black MSM in the Southern United States
  Mobile health (mHealth) interventions can be effective at increasing the uptake of preventive measures and testing for HIV, but such programs require a degree of human oversight that is hard to operationalize and sustain. This project will address these challenges by using cutting-edge innovations—artificial intelligence chatbots trained on theory and culturally-tailored strategies, along with augmented reality technology—to make mHealth more accessible for high-risk Black men who have sex with men (MSM) in the southern U.S., the epicenter of the HIV epidemic in the country.
  Principal Investigator: Zhao Ni, PhD, BMed, RN, FAAN, Yale University, School of Nursing
  
  
• Disrupting Intergenerational Family Violence Using a Family-Centered, Technology-Enhanced, and Trauma-Informed Program
  Black women and children are disproportionately affected by domestic violence and abuse (DVA) from their partner or father. These same men have a high rate of dropping out of DVA rehabilitation programs. This project will investigate what factors lead Black families to seek help and will develop the FatherlyACT trauma-informed model of care. Led by male nurses, FatherlyACT consists of a mix of virtual and in-person sessions for each family member designed to enhance parenting skills, promote healthy relationships, and involve the family in the intervention.
  Principal Investigator: Chuka Emezue, PhD, MPH, MPA, CHES, Rush University
  
  
• Community-Partnered Engagement to Improve Violence Among Youth of Color‍
  Establishing Safe Cultures (ESC) is a coalition of grassroots organizations that provides a youth-based, holistic violence prevention program in North Carolina. For this project, ESC will partner with Black adolescents, parents and/or caregivers, community partners, and the nurse scientists of Duke University’s HEEAT (Health disparities through Engagement, Equity, Advocacy and Trust) Research Lab to optimize ESC’s existing violence prevention programming for broader scaling efforts.
  Principal Investigator: Schenita Davis Randolph, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, Duke University, School of Nursing
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‍About The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation

The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation advances bold, nursing-driven innovations that promote equitable, person-centered, and trustworthy care. It is committed to improving the health and healthcare of all people, especially populations who experience inequity, discrimination, and indifference. Its goal is to help ignite and develop game-changing interventions and to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem of nurse innovators, grantees, and partners dedicated to building a healthier, more equitable future for all. For more information, please visit www.rahf.org.

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Media Contact
Takouhi Mosoian, The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation (press@rahf.org)