About the Institute . . .

116 ABOUT THE INSTITUTE The Institute on Health Care for the Poor and Underserved was estabUshed to help address the ironic paradox that in a country that devotes more money per capita to health care than does any nation on earth, more than 30 miUion people stiU Jack adequate health protection. Despite a vast commitment of resources , the cost of care is soaring, health care in medicaUy underserved rural and urban communities is limited, and the quaUty of care is not always reUable . These problems weigh heaviest on the poor, the elderly, those who face a catastrophic illness, and the rruTUons who are uninsured or underinsured. We at Meharry Medical College beUeve deeply in health care for aU. As the largest single private institution for the education of black health professionals in the United States, Meharry trains physicians and dentists who practice largely in medically underserved inner-city and rural areas. In 1988, to further focus attention on the health of and health care for underserved populations, Meharry formed the nonprofit Institute on Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. The institute aims to solve problems by bringing together health professionals, disseminating critical information, and serving as a focal point for research news. Because the issues that surround health care are complex, the scope of the institute is broad, encompassing diverse concerns such as the cost of health care; federal, state, and local laws; service deüvery and access thereto; bureaucratic regulations and procedures ; and individual and group behaviors. The principal activities of the institute are fivefold: operating a national clearinghouse, convening annual conferences and meetings, pubUshing a quarterly journal, estabUshing and supporting local demonstration projects, and engaging in health services research. The Institute on Health Care for the Poor and Underserved reües on the generosity of pubUc and private funders who share its mission. Contributions to the institute are tax deductible. In the next issue of the journal: • Mexican-American Infant Mortality Rate: ImpUcations for Public PoUcy • Health Services Utilization Among Latinos and White non-Latinos: Results From a National Survey • Medicaid Managed Care in Chicago: Changes in Utilization ...