Dr. Janelle Baker wins Champion Award at the 10th Anniversary Health Disparities Conference
Making significant strides in the arena of medical research has earned Alcorn State University’s Dr. Janelle Baker high marks among her peers.
Baker, who serve as director of Alcorn’s Graduate Nursing Programs and the Alcorn State University Family Clinic, accepted the Champion Award for her outstanding work toward eliminating health disparities and increasing health equity at Xavier University of Louisiana’s 10th Anniversary Health Disparities Conference Friday, March 17 in New Orleans.
The Conference, which was formed by Xavier University of Louisiana’s College of Pharmacy’s Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, Research and Education, presents multidisciplinary research that builds collaboration and partnerships to eliminate health disparities, achieve health equity and create healthier communities.
The award is one that shows Baker’s commitment to helping others.
“I am humbled and excited to receive the Champion Award,” said Baker. “Mitigating health disparities is something that motivated me to become a nurse practitioner 16 years ago. African-Americans morbidity and mortality rates for chronic diseases were then and remain higher than our Caucasian counterparts. In some instances, they are higher than the national average. Being a primary care provider managing and treating chronic diseases was not enough for me and in 2005, I began my program research on eliminating health disparities.”
The important thing to do, according to Baker, is to avoid all illnesses by taking good care of your body.
“Your health is indeed your wealth. Maintaining good health is the key to preventing and or delaying many of the chronic diseases that plague African-Americans such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and hypertension just to name a few. One cannot change his or her genetic makeup, but one can delay the onset by maintaining good health.”