LANSING — In recognition of National Minority Health Month, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Health Disparities Reduction and Minority Health Section (HDRMHS) will feature a series of statewide events throughout the month of April. The 2013 theme is “Assuring Access to Care: There’s something in it for you.”

HDRMHS is teaming with the Michigan Minority Health Coalition and local community organizations to conduct information sessions for local residents and others. The information sessions will focus on the Affordable Care Act and other health care initiatives that impact communities of color.

Upcoming events include opportunities for discussion in Flint, Detroit, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Cassopolis, Muskegon Heights, Benton Harbor, Westland, Hart, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Grand Rapids, and more.  Participating organizations represent community and faith-based organizations, Tribal Councils, community health centers, hospitals, and other entities that serve one or more of the five recognized racial and ethnic minority populations: African Americans, Arab and Chaldean Americans, American Indians/Native Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. For more information about the goals of HDRMHS and its efforts to eliminate health disparities in Michigan’s populations of color, or to view the Minority Health Month Michigan Calendar please visit www.michigan.gov/minorityhealth.