Genetic Alliance Leads Integration of Family Health History into Community Health Centers
Partnership with HRSA kicks off during family health history month to increase awareness

WASHINGTON, DC – November 3, 2010 –The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded Genetic Alliance a contract to integrate the Does It Run In the Family? toolkit into several HRSA-funded health centers across the country. The toolkit is a set of two booklets and supplementary materials promoting family health history awareness and collection. This project will serve as a national model to advance access to family health history through community health centers.

Family health history (FHH) is an important component of a primary care visit. It is an independent and significant risk factor for many common, chronic conditions as well as rare genetic disorders, and it is often called the most basic genetic test. But it is not just a health concept; FHH involves lifestyle, environment, behavior, and culture. The Does It Run In the Family? toolkit elaborates on all these components of FHH in addition to explaining basic genetics concepts and conditions that can run in the family.

For this project, Genetic Alliance will build on its experience coordinating the Community Centered Family Health History project, a HRSA cooperative agreement that focused on FHH integration in diverse community-based settings. “Every community is different, so our approach will be a collaborative one,” said Vaughn Edelson, programs manager at Genetic Alliance. “We will work with each health center to customize a program for family health history integration that responds to the needs of that patient and provider community.”

The program will assess the impact of the Does It Run In the Family? toolkit on patient and community FHH education and engagement activities. It will also include a “Train the Trainers” component, whereby certain health center providers and staff will be trained to both use the toolkit and instruct other providers and staff on its use. These activities will occur over the course of two years, with an optional third year to expand the project upon availability of funds.

“We look forward to continuing this vital family health history work with HRSA,” commented James O'Leary, Genetic Alliance chief innovation officer. “Knowing your family health history is the first step on the road to better health. It is crucial that the patients and communities served by health centers across the U.S. have access to family health history resources that are easy to access and understand.”

For more information about Genetic Alliance’s family health history programs, visit www.geneticalliance.org/fhh.programs.

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About Genetic Alliance
Genetic Alliance transforms health through genetics, promoting an environment of openness centered on the health of individuals, families, and communities. Genetic Alliance brings together diverse stakeholders that create novel partnerships in advocacy; integrates individual, family, and community perspectives to improve health systems; and revolutionizes access to information to enable translation of research into services and individualized decision making. For more information about Genetic Alliance, visit http://www.geneticalliance.org.