The purpose of this NOFO is to support the planning phase of the Model Continuums of Care Initiative (MCCI) to Advance Health Equity and End Health Disparities Among Women and Girls in Racial/Ethnic Minority Communities. MCCI is a multi-ICO dissemination and implementation science initiative to advance racial equity and end health disparities in racial/ethnic minority women and girls of reproductive age. Specifically, the Model Continuums of Care Initiative will apply the latest dissemination and implementation science approaches to significantly reduce the prevalence and impact of multi-morbidity among racial/ethnic minority women and girls of reproductive age at risk and living with mental health disorders, substance use disorders, chronic stress, cardiopulmonary diseases, common metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes), cancer, and HIV/AIDS. This concept proposes a continuum of care approach that integrates preventive health services, primary care, behavioral health, integrative care, and cardiopulmonary and endocrine specialties to fully address health care needs in each of these domains, and to have maximum impact on the overall health and well-being of racial and ethnic minority and other underserved women and girls. While MCCI is not a maternal health initiative, women and girls ages 15-44 yrs. are centered because it is during the early reproductive period, i.e., adolescence, that multimorbidity typically begins and rapidly progresses, setting the stage for multiple chronic debilitating conditions in later life. Special emphasis will be placed on using stakeholder partnerships, provider training, and infrastructure changes to improve access for subgroups of racial/ethnic minority women and girls who currently have the least access to high quality health care (e.g., racial/ethnic minority women and girls living in low resource settings). Applications that include a partnership between Research Centers in Minority Institutions and other institutions with extensive programs in women's health research are strongly encouraged.
This NOFO requires a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP), which will be assessed as part of the scientific and technical peer review evaluation. Applications that fail to include a PEDP will be considered incomplete and will be withdrawn.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the NOFO instructions carefully and view the available PEDP guidance material.