 Your new post is loading...
Although study after study has linked poverty to poor health -- a 2006 report in the journal Pediatrics found that children whose families cannot pay their utility bills are 30 percent more likely to be hospitalized -- the medical and social service systems have long operated in largely separate and disconnected spheres. Too often, that results in a medical revolving door, as when doctors prescribe asthma medicines for children living in mold-infested apartments, only to have them wind up in the emergency room because their housing conditions were never addressed. "Physicians don't ask these questions because they don't know what to do with the answers," said Children's social worker Alison Page. Most doctors, she added, have neither the time nor the expertise to deal with what health researchers call "the social determinants" of health. Rx: Food Health Leads attempts to bridge that chasm. Patients fill out a questionnaire that prompts doctors to ask about their unmet needs; using that information, physicians and other staff members can "prescribe" food, housing assistance or child care, among other things. Patients then take their prescriptions to Health Leads, where student volunteers attempt to fill them, helping tap local resources many clients don't know exist or have been unable to access.
Accord refugees right to workThe Sun DailyThis is evidenced in Health Equity Initiative's research report "Forced Labour, Human Trafficking and Forced Labour: The Experiences of Refugees and Asylum...
U.S. News University Health Care Disparities Exist for Children with Autism Spectrum DisordersKansas City infoZineThe researchers found children with ASD paid more for health care than children with other conditions.
The purpose of the ELHDI is to eliminate lupus related health disparities among racial and ethnic populations through the dissemination of a national lupus education program to health professionals and student trainees
Fulton County opens new health center to address disparitiesPublic Broadcasting AtlantaBy Michelle Wirth Fulton County opened a new regional health center in the Adamsville area of Southwest Atlanta Thursday to try and address health disparities.
Taylor, who is a National Institute of Health-Health Disparities Research Scholar and specialist in culturally appropriate community-based research methodology, hopes that her new initiative would have high levels of success in improving health outcomes for minority women.
One of the biggest problems with health care today is that there is way too much information and way too little communications going on between providers and patients.
Via callooh, shannon mcgarry
WASHINGTON and DANVERS, Mass., June 6, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Eliza Corporation today released a 17-minute Podcast to offer perspective about the pending Supreme Court Ruling on the Affordable Care Act. PODCAST LINK : http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/MNR/56647.mp3 TWEET: #HealthCare experts Jeff Goldsmith @ADrane @ElizaCorp give pending ACA ruling perspective [PODCAST] #SCOTUS #healthdata Questions addressed in the Podcast discussion include: 1. What will the Supreme Court decide about the Affordable Care Act? 2. How will Congress react to the Supreme Court decision? 3. How will the Supreme Court's decision impact Obama in an election year? 4. How and when will this affect individual people? 5. What are the implications of the Supreme Court's decision for health plans? 6. How will the Supreme Court's decision affect the rampant purchase of Provider Practices? 7. How will the Supreme Court's decision impact ACOs?
A few years ago, a Canadian researcher, Professor Dennis Raphael, took a look around the world to see how various countries were addressing health inequalities and the social determinants of health. He subsequently published two papers in Health Promotion International (let me know if you’d like a copy), comparing both the rhetoric and the actions of countries identified as liberal, social democratic, conservative or Latin welfare states. Raphael, a professor of health policy at the School of Health Policy and Management at York University in Toronto, concluded that governments of liberal or social democratic welfare states are more likely to make explicit rhetorical commitments, but that liberal welfare state nations (like Australia) fall well behind other countries in implementing public policies that provide “the prerequisites of health”.
The Garden of Eden is a community-run grocery like facility established to serve the African American community in St. Louis. The project was initiated because local advocates and researchers identified obesity as a major health concern. Further, Abraham's Children (AC), a project of Interfaith Partnership of Metro St. Louis working with more than 45 churches, recognized a lack of healthy foods, particularly in the city. At the suggestion of one health advocate from an AC church, a diverse alliance established the Garden of Eden. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the effort has been a partnership between Abraham's Children, St. Louis University School of Public Health, and Health Works, a local business in St. Louis. The three entities entered into a joint decision making process, which requires approval by all the partners before moving forward. It also capitalizes on the strengths of each entity. For example, all partners developed a plan and applied for grants to support the project. A church donated the space in its basement to house the market. Local businesses have guided the design and layout of the market. A local supermarket chain, SaveALot, trained community members. Abraham's Children, which has lay health workers in each of its member churches, provides health counseling and information to members of participating congregations. Further, community members have contributed their understanding of community needs and strengths to the staffing and management of running the store. For example, they recommended that seniors in the community could be trained as nutrition educators. State and local minority health agencies have also lent their expertise to the effort. The Garden of Eden opened its doors in July 2003 and continues to run today. Even before opening, the effort had already achieved four major outcomes. These were: 1) increasing knowledge and skills regarding fruits and vegetables and physical activity; 2) job training for community residents; 3) empowering residents as demonstrated by reports from members of the participating groups that they feel motivated and organized to address other health concerns in their community after having successfully implemented this project. This was initiated by developing a community dialogue about the relationship between community resources (e.g. a market) and behavior (e.g. healthy eating); and 4) establishing a community-run grocery like facility, which holds the promise of improving fruit and vegetable intake among African Americans in St. Louis. Over time, this facility can result in improved health outcomes, including reduced risk of chronic disease.
When I entered the room, I was a graduate student from UCO, unaware of what these men had experienced or what may have brought them there. But as I sat and listened, as I talked with the inmate sitting next to me, who for privacy reasons I will call Mr. S, I learned that we came from the same places. I learned that he made some unwise decisions that lead him to this place but that it just as easily could have been me. I thought back to my past when I was growing up, poor, and reckless. I made some very unwise decisions but was fortunate enough not to get caught. Many of my friends ended up in jail and some died. I remember having friends that were drug dealers, thieves, gangsters, but I was never scared of them or fearful. They were my “homies” and I knew what they had to go through every day. I knew their lives were a constant struggle and although they made many bad choices, I knew they sometimes had no choice. I remember trying to talk to my friends about making lifestyle changes and feeling like it was futile because they couldn’t see a way through and out of the ghetto. Many of them tried to make a change after their first or second offense but were often working hard, staying on the right path and somehow wrongfully accused or unfairly scrutinized and ended up right back in the system. This introspection coupled with the inmates comments made me think about all of the social injustices that are forced upon the nation’s most vulnerable citizens: the poor. Poor people are obviously more likely to be incarcerated and uneducated. This lack of opportunity and disparity is just one of the many issues poor people face. And it becomes cyclical and what do we do as a society? We turn a blind eye to it and forget that our duty as Americans is to take care of our fellow citizens and live by the philosophy from which this country was founded, that all people are created equal. Those who come from poverty are just like everyone else, with one exception, they are poor. But because they are poor, they are more likely to be incarcerated and less likely to live a long healthy life. What a vicious cycle. How do we get the heck out of it? Well the answer seems so simple, yet the path is long, narrow, and scary. We know that policy change has a lot to do with the issues that the prison population faces. It also has a lot to do with the issues that poor people face. We have to have lasting policy change that cannot be overturned by some legal loophole or because of some special interest groups’ long money that pays to make a change take place or go away. We as citizens have to ask what it is that people need, truly listen, and actually do something about it. Tonight’s experience humbled me; it made me thankful that I had a support system and that although I made a few bad decisions I am fortunate enough to be where I am now. I have seen some hard times, and definitely know about struggle. My parents came from developing countries and grew up in extreme poverty and when they came to the US, it was not much better. I know I am truly blessed and lucky to have made it as far as I have despite the many adversities I faced, of which the biggest was being poor. I am where I am because I had support but also because somehow I found a way out and never wanted to look back. But for those who didn’t have the same support or for those who couldn’t imagine a better day, I am empathetic. I have been where they started and remember how hard it was and is to get out. I hope and pray for a change and in the meantime will never forget this often forgotten group of people. They are prisoners but they are still people and should be treated with respect and humanity.
An Australia-first study has found 500,000 people could avoid chronic illness, $2.3 billion in annual hospital costs could be saved, and the annual number of taxpayer-funded Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescriptions could be cut by 5.3 million. The study, The Cost of Inaction on the Social Determinants of Health, reveals avoidable chronic illness costs the Federal Government $4 billion each year in welfare payments and the national economy $8 billion in lost earnings.
This is the age of health care reform and I would like to make the case that we allow the attractive force of consumer demand to drive the future development of our health care system. Consumer demand is the purchasing patterns of an individual or cluster of individuals. These patterns can be measured in terms of their size (financial value or number of people); they can be localized by geography and duration; or described by the socio-economic characteristics of the individuals whose activities form the patterns. In a free-market economy, consumer demand is akin to gravity. It is an attractive force around which product development, distribution networks and retail centers -- markets -- are formed and stabilized. The challenge with consumer demand is that it is a malleable force, easily influenced by other factors. We will focus our attention on two: the predictability/inevitability of consumer need and the necessity of health insurance.
|
While this is a resource developed for use in Quebec, many of the tools can be applied here in the States. Extensive changes to the health structure in Québec meant that public health risked being lost in the shuffle. Legislation in November 2005 merged public health services, traditionally provided through community service locations, into regional centres that included long-term care facilities and hospitals. Seizing the opportunity, Dr. Jocelyne Sauvé, Public Health Director for the region of La Montérégie, developed a detailed training program to embed a population health approach in the new managers, many of whom had little or no experience in public health. Her program was a resounding success, and is now being implemented province-wide, instilling a population-health perspective into all health service delivery. Use this resource to: Develop leadership in public health and health equity.
Make inroads into health care by capitalizing on public health successes.
Make ‘systems change’ by building health equity into planning and performance indicators.
Together with dozens of community health advocates, officials representing the Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC) and Purdue University today unveiled Heart Health Indiana -- a federal grant supported health education program designed to enable African Americans in Marion County to make informed decisions about their heart health and provide the ability to effectively compare different forms of treatment as a solution for creating better health outcomes and enjoy a higher quality of life.
As more patients from underserved populations start to enter the health care system through health care reform, there will be an increasing need to have more African-American and Latino physicians to help provide quality health care. Kaiser Permanente is working to address the shortage of physicians by expanding its relationship with National Medical Fellowships and contributing $1 million to support medical students through education and training programs. "Kaiser Permanente understands the importance of having a health care workforce that will reflect the diversity of our ever-evolving population," said Yvette Radford, a member of the NMF board and Vice President for External and Community Affairs, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. "We recognize that there are insufficient numbers of African-American and Latino medical students, and our support for NMF is one way to help address this important issue." According to U.S. Census data and the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, African-Americans represent 14 percent of the U.S. population and only four percent of physicians. Meanwhile, Latinos represent 16 percent of the population and five percent of physicians. Understanding and addressing health disparities is crucial to improving community health. Greater access to providers is the first place to start. When given the opportunity, minority patients often select a physician or health care professional of their own racial-ethnic and cultural background because there is a high level of confidence that the physician will understand the patient's unique health care needs. This will have a positive impact on health outcomes and provide equitable care to our communities. "Every time a member walks through the door, we want them to feel that they are being heard and cared for by someone who understands. Whether they see a Latina surgeon, an African-American cardiologist who is fluent in Spanish, or their trusted family physician- we provide them culturally responsive care, the highest quality of care in the language the member prefers and with respect for their culture at every point of contact," said Frank Meza, MD, MPH, Family Medicine and Physician Ambassador, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center and 2007 Recipient of the NMF Distinguished Alumni Award.
If you are looking for advocacy tips, here is a great place to start: Use the Pyramid of Social Media Strategy when conceptualizing any social media campaign (reconstructed below for your viewing delights).
Targeted engagement: WHO are you trying to reach…there are too many people in the social media world to reach them all!
Authenticity: you should be able to relate with your audience…post things in your social media that are honest and real
Integration within the whole organization: YOU cannot do this alone…to launch a good and successful social media campaign your whole org must be on board with the same messaging and plan and actively participating!
Quality content: This is in the center for a reason…make it worth your reader’s time…make them want to be SOCIAL with your media and get involved with YOU.
WXIA-TVLatinos in Georgia Face Growing Health Disparities, Report FindsPublic Broadcasting AtlantaBy Jim Burress And along with that growth comes ever-widening disparities related to Latinos' access to healthcare.
Updated NewsMore US Hispanics die waiting for heart transplants: studyReuters"The knowledge of disparity is usually the first step in ultimately getting rid of it," said Tajinder Singh from Boston Children's Hospital, who led the study that...
The obesity epidemic in the U.S. will eventually bankrupt the nation if left unchecked, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center, which held a webcast Tuesday to outline its recommendations for curbing the crisis. In its report, “Lots to Lose: How America’s Health and Obesity Crisis Threatens our Economic Future,” the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative, co-chaired by former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture Dan Glickman and Ann Veneman and former U.S. Secretaries of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala and Mike Leavitt, calls on the public and private sectors to collaborate in creating healthy families, schools, workplaces and communities.The report’s goal is to draw attention to the role obesity plays in the nation’s mounting healthcare spending, which is expected to reach $4.6 trillion dollars annually and consume 19.8 percent of the GDP by 2020, said Glickman. “We Americans are a very overweight and unhealthy nation and as a nation we spend $2.6 trillion on healthcare (annually). Those costs are the primary driver of our nations’ debt,” said Glickman, adding that the current level of healthcare spending will “bankrupt our country.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. federal agencies unveiled the Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities May 31. White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chairman Nancy Sutley, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan discussed the new plan during an event at Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), which houses The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, along with other community groups. Nearly 26 million Americans are affected by this chronic respiratory disease, including 7 million children, especially minority children and children with family incomes below the poverty level. Asthma rates of African-American children are at 16 percent, while 16.5 percent of Puerto Rican children suffer from the chronic respiratory disease, more than double the rate of Caucasian children in the United States. The annual economic cost of asthma, including direct medical costs from hospital stays and indirect costs such as lost school and work days, amounts to approximately $56 billion. “Across America, we see low-income and minority children and families at a disproportionately higher risk for asthma and respiratory illnesses,” Jackson said. “Air pollution and other challenges are having serious health effects, which compound economic challenges through medical bills and missed school and work days. As the mother of a child with asthma, I know what it means for our children to have clean and healthy air to breathe. This action plan enables federal agencies and our partners to work more collaboratively and comprehensively on tackling a major health threat, so that we can protect all Americans, no matter what community they call home.”
Many Connecticut women aren’t getting annual preventive health care, and the problem is worse among minorities and young adults, according to a new survey. The survey found that 28 percent of women had not had an ob-gyn exam in the past year. Among minority women, 38 percent had not had an ob-gyn exam in the past year; and for young women 18 to 29, the number was 36 percent. One in 10 minority women reported they had not seen a gynecologist or a primary care doctor in the past year. That is double the rate reported by white women. Young and minority women were also less likely to get pap smears on schedule.
It's a well established fact and most of us have at least heard of it. It's also a surprising fact. But it's a fact that doesn't get nearly as much attention as it deserves - not from our politicians, the media or the public. It's known to social scientists and medicos as the ''social gradient'' or the ''social determinants of health''. And it means there's a strong correlation between socio-economic status and health. The higher your status, the better your health. To put it the other way, the lower a person's social and economic position, the worse their health. And the health gaps between the most disadvantaged and least disadvantaged socio-economic groups are often very large.
Of all minority groups, African-Americans have the most, and many times the largest, differences in health risks when compared to other minority groups. African-Americans have more disease, disability, and early death as well. African American women are becoming more at risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes. Yet, both can be prevented.The Black Beauty Shop Health Outreach Program, headed by Dr. Didra Brown Taylor, has taken on the challenge to address health disparities among African American women, right where they are, in the beauty shop. The Black Beauty Shop Health Outreach Program is a natural outgrowth of the overwhelming national success of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, which to date has screened over 37,000 men for diabetes and high blood pressure." The Black Beautyshop Health Outreach Program was officially launched on August 28, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Congressman Alcee Hastings with over 15 barbershops and beautyshops participating in the screening effort", states Dr. Bill Releford, founder of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program and co-founder of the Black Beautyshop Health Outreach Program.
Pine Ridge is a poster child of American poverty and of the failures of the reservation system for American Indians in the West. The latest Census Bureau data show that Shannon County here had the lowest per capita income in the entire United States in 2010. Not far behind in that Census Bureau list of poorest counties are several found largely inside other Sioux reservations in South Dakota: Rosebud, Cheyenne River and Crow Creek. Poverty in the United States, including in the reservations, is so entrenched because it is often part of a toxic brew of alcohol or drug dependencies, dysfunctional families and educational failures. It self-replicates generation after generation.... Half the population over 40 on Pine Ridge has diabetes, and tuberculosis runs at eight times the national rate. As many as two-thirds of adults may be alcoholics, one-quarter of children are born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and the life expectancy is somewhere around the high 40s — shorter than the average for sub-Saharan Africa. Less than 10 percent of children graduate from high school.
|
