July 29, 2020
Community research to reshape health care for young Black men in Detroit
Jade Burns, assistant professor at the U-M School of Nursing, leads a community-centered research project in Detroit to improve health education, access and outcomes of young Black men.
Over the last year, Jade Burns, Ph.D., R.N., CPNP-PC, assistant professor of health behavior and biological sciences at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, has been leading community-centered research in Detroit as part of a dynamic project to improve health education, access and outcomes for young Black men in urban communities.
Drawing on her 15 years of experience working with Detroit youth, Burns developed the project, Young Men’s Health Matters, to improve the well-being of young Black men by identifying barriers and facilitators to their health care through the use of technology and digital spaces. She and her DRB Lab are facilitating this project in partnership with Detroit Community Health Connection, Inc. (DCHC), a federally qualified health center that provides primary care services at seven locations throughout the city.
“The ultimate goal of my work is to utilize community-engaged research and technology to increase access to health and health care,” says Burns. “It’s about connecting with the community, building partnerships, listening, gathering data and using it to tailor solutions that are representative of that population."
In a recent article by the U-M School of Nursing, Burns further discusses the community-based approaches of her research and the development, findings and impact of her project thus far.
