WSU physicians John Flack, M.D. and Diane Levine, M.D. along with WSU Adjunct Associate Dean Joseph Brocato have been recognized with the 2004 Pillar Award of Excellence for Reducing Health Disparities. The awards, which were sponsored by Michigan's Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (MPRO) and the Michigan Department of Community Health, were presented by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Michigan Surgeon General Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D. at a recent ceremony.

Dr. Brocato, who is also executive director of the Southeast Michigan Center for Medical Education, received the honor for his efforts in developing a training program for on health disparities and health literacy for both graduate medical education program directors and incoming chief residents.

Dr. Flack, WSU associate chair of internal medicine and director of the WSU Center for Urban and African-American Health, and Dr. Levine, WSU associate professor of internal medicine, were honored for working on a collaboration to reduce health disparities among Wayne County's African-American senior citizens with diabetes. An MPRO report has confirmed that the treatment gap for diabetes between African-American seniors and white seniors has narrowed.

Other Pillar Award recipients included: Olivia G.M. Washington, Ph.D., WSU associate professor of nursing; Feleta Wilson, Ph.D., R.N., WSU associate professor of nursing; and Karen Love, chief operating officer of the Michigan Chronicle and the Michigan Front Page.