Vasan Ramachandran, MD, Addresses Rural Health at Texas Conference

Vasan Ramachandran, MD, FACC, FAHA, Dean of The University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio, spoke recently at the 20th annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities (TCHD). The event gathers medical and public health professionals to examine variations in health status and access to care among different communities across Texas.

Ramachandran delivered a presentation titled "Rural Health: Challenges and Opportunities." He brings extensive experience in population-based research to the topic, having previously served as the principal investigator of the long-running Framingham Heart Study. Currently, Ramachandran is one of the principal investigators for the Risk Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal Study (RURAL), which focuses on understanding heart and lung disorders in rural counties in the southeastern U.S.

The TCHD, hosted by the University of North Texas Health Science Center, aims to foster research and training necessary to address significant differences in health outcomes related to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes within the state. The conference also emphasizes the need to train future healthcare providers to serve disproportionately affected communities.