Heckler Report

The Heckler Report, officially the Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health, was a landmark 1985 report published by the US Government.[1] It is named after Margaret Heckler, who was Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services from 1983 to 1985.[2] The Heckler Report investigated racial and ethnic disparities in health in the United States.

Margaret Heckler, pictured in 1985

History

In 1977, the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools was formed by Louis Wade Sullivan, Ralph Cazort, Anthony Rachal, and Walter Bowie. In the early 1980s, they commissioned a study by Ruth Hanft which was published as "Blacks and the Health Professions in the 1980s: A National Crisis and A Time for Action". In March 1983, members of the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools met with Margaret Heckler, who was Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.[3] Heckler was said to be disturbed by the "Blacks and the Health Professions..." documentation of life expectancy disparities, calling it an "affront to our ideals and to the genius of American medicine".[4] A month later, Heckler contacted them to let them know that she had commissioned a taskforce to be led by Thomas E. Malone and Katrina Johnson.[3]

The Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health was published in August 1985.[2]

Findings

The Heckler Report found that in the US, 60,000 deaths occurred each year due health disparities. It outlined the six causes of death that accounted for more than 80% of mortality among ethnic and racial minorities. The report included recommendations to reduce these health disparities, as well as to collect data of a higher quality for Hispanics, Asian Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.[4]

Legacy

The Heckler Report was the first effort by the US government to investigate health inequality among racial and ethnic minorities.[5] It has been called a "landmark",[1] "groundbreaking",[2] and "a transformative, driving force for change".[4] It has served as the "anchor" of federal efforts to reduce and eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities.[1] It directly led to the creation of the Office of Minority Health in 1986.[2][4] Offices of minority health were additionally established in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a result of the report.[4]

References
  1. Liburd, Leandris C.; Hall, Jeffrey E.; Mpofu, Jonetta J.; Williams, Sheree Marshall; Bouye, Karen; Penman-Aguilar, Ana (2020). "Addressing Health Equity in Public Health Practice: Frameworks, Promising Strategies, and Measurement Considerations". Annual Review of Public Health. 41: 417–432. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094119. PMID 31900101. S2CID 209751497.
  2. "Much done, much still to do 30 years after Heckler Report". American Heart Association News. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  3. Sullivan, Louis W. "The Heckler Report: Reflecting on its beginnings and 30 years of progress". The Sullivan Alliance. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  4. Gracia, J. Nadine (16 November 2018). "Remembering Margaret Heckler's Commitment To Advancing Minority Health". Health Affairs. doi:10.1377/forefront.20181115.296624.
  5. "30 years of advancing health equity". U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
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