Archive for the ‘Disparities’ Category

Angelina Jolie announced today in a New York Times op-ed that she recently underwent a double mastectomy after finding out that she has the gene mutation known as BRCA1, which increases a woman’s chances of getting breast cancer by 87% over her lifetime (and ovarian cancer by 50%). It is certainly a marvel of modern medicine that we not only know about this gene mutation but have the ability to test for it. Jolie’s announcement put a well-known face to the name “BRCA,” which has been in the news a lot this year as part of a larger discussion about genetics and the law.

A company called Myriad Genetics holds the patent on the BRCA gene and is the only company allowed to test for it. The question of whether a company is allowed to patent a gene has been a hugely controversial issue. A lawsuit brought against Myriad a few years ago by plaintiffs represented by the ACLU has ended up in the Supreme Court and is being considered now.

One of the reasons that more people are taking notice of this issue – and perhaps the most important reason to many people in terms of its practical implications – is cost. (more…)

This past Friday, January 18^th, as the entire city seemed to be preparing for the inauguration, the EPA, Amplify Public Affairs and Green for All co-hosted a captivating panel discussion at EPA Headquarters which marked the commencement of the BeGreen2013 movement.  The BeGreen2013 movement is predicated on the idea that the actions of individuals can be a significant factor in moving towards a healthier environment, and the panelists shared stories about how they have worked to make a difference in their communities by shifting to more sustainable practices and motivating others to do the same. (more…)

For the past several years I have run this post and just as it was those years, it is this year a very important message.

We, as a nation, have made progress and I believe Dr. King would be proud. But our work is far from complete – particularly where health care is concerned. Another doctor, Dr. John M. Eisenberg, a physician of tremendous stature whose life was also tragically cut short (not by an assassin’s bullet but by brain cancer) was equally passionate about the dignity of life and justice for all Americans. Dr. Eisenberg, who among other things, served as the Director of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (as AHRQ was known back in the day), cared deeply about access to and the integrity of health care for all Americans – regardless of skin color. (more…)

Just before the holidays, the National Institutes of Health hosted the 2012 Summit on the Science of Eliminating Disparities, convening a series of discussions on innovative solutions building on the national momentum to address the social determinants of health. Throughout the three-day event, panelists and speakers offered lists of victories to celebrate the changing atmosphere as the nation unites to eliminate health disparities. (more…)

My grandmother was in the hospital two weeks ago due to a variety of health concerns that had left her on the verge of collapse.  She’s okay now (thanks to everyone who has been supportive through this!), but my family learned from her doctors that she has likely suffered a minor heart attack sometime in the past weeks.

We were shocked to hear this.  Heart attack?  There had been no signs—no chest tightening, no irregular heartbeat, no arm pain, nothing.

That is when the doctor informed us that women actually experience different heart attack symptoms than men. (more…)

Yesterday the Atlantic held the second of three events in its Community Health Tour, in which leaders on the frontlines of community health join panelists in a conversation to identify and solve problems. Yesterday’s conversation in St. Louis, MO featured panelists Robert Fruend, CEO of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission; Joy Krieger, Executive Director of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter; Melba Moore, Health Commissioner for the City of St. Louis; and Dr. Jason Purnell, Assistant Professor at the Brown School of Social Work and Public Health at Washington University.

The panelists weighed in on the progress being made and challenges to be reckoned with in St. Louis. Socioeconomic disparities remain one of the toughest hurdles to overcome in creating healthier communities. Low incomes and lack of education and information tend to be indicators of other health factors such as smoking and poor diet. Add this to a general lack of access to health services and you begin to see a population that is becoming sicker over time, unable to tackle either disease management or prevention. (more…)

The awareness of breast cancer and the companion calls-to-action have truly been amplified during this decade. Recently, in honor of breast cancer awareness, football teams wore pink sneakers, the so-called “real” refs wore pink wrist bands, the well-promoted and participated Susan G. Komen three-day walk ended with the usual enthusiasm and broadcast media attention.

Back in the late nineties, I worked at a corporation that was centered on women’s health. We proactively reached out to organizations associated with women’s health, including Susan G. Komen, and offered to bring our resources to bear to assist in raising awareness and amplifying their messages. In those days the only talk about breast cancer seemed to occur when a teary-eyed friend or co-worker would whisper that she discovered a lump. So it is all wonderful that this health issue and the call to get mammograms have reached the population at large such that even teenage boys drive cars with pink ribbons on them. However, all of this awareness masks some serious issues. (more…)

Earlier this year, Disruptive Women in Health Care launched a partnership with the EPA where we will be examining issues of health and the environment as they relate to women and children. The primary focus of this partnership will be a series of ebooks that looks at topics where women’s health and the environment intersect, and these will be accompanied by special events co-hosted by Disruptive Women and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. (more…)

We’ve covered a lot of children’s health topics during our back to school series, and many of our stories suggest that healthier children – those who get enough sleep, have their vision tested, have chronic diseases under control, etc. – are set up to achieve more success in school. But there is a flip side to that: the more education a child gets, the more likely he or she is to lead a healthy life. (more…)

If you’re a parent, back to school time means endless preparation – does your child have the right teacher, the right backpack, the right school supplies, the right jeans? Not to mention that you have to find that piece of paper that proves your child has the right vaccinations. And what if they’re not up to date? How are you going to get to the doctor’s office between vacations, work, and life’s demands that pull you in 1,000 different directions?

Well, if your child is one of the estimated 1.7 million that has a school-based health center (SBHC) in his or her school, then you won’t have to figure out how they will get that vaccine or any of the other health care they might need. SBHCs provide primary care, mental and behavioral health, preventive and oral health services to kids and teens where they are: in school. (more…)

Health care policy has always been a hot button issue in elections, perhaps moreso in 2012 than ever before. In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on ACA and at a time when federal debt and household finances are on the list of talking points for both political parties, we thought we’d go to some of our eminently qualified Disruptive Women for their takes on how health care and the election will affect each other. Here’s what they had to say. (more…)

When it comes to maintaining respiratory health, living in an environment with good air quality is clearly an important factor. In many urban areas inhabited by low-income populations, this clean air is nowhere to be found. Having green space within a city can play a significant role in reducing air pollution as well as mitigating the dangerous urban heat island effect. The need for green space is often recognized in more affluent parts of a city, while low-income areas are neglected. When these less affluent communities are overlooked, there can be serious health consequences such as the extreme disparity in negative asthma outcomes in the black and Hispanic children who inhabit these neglected areas.  In this article, Planet Forward and the National Society of Landscape Architects examine the benefits that parks can have for the health and prosperity of low-income urban communities. (more…)

Kenneth Eisner

Ivor B. Horn, MD, MPH

By Ivor Horn, MD, MPH and Kenneth Eisner. Asthma is the most common chronic pediatric medical condition in the United States.  Its prevalence has tripled in the last three decades with disadvantaged, urban, minority children incurring a disproportionate share: 12.8% of African American children are diagnosed with asthma compared to 7.9% of Whites, and African American children are nearly seven times more likely to die from asthma than Whites. Additionally, African Americans use emergency departments more frequently, incurring higher healthcare costs. (more…)

It is well-documented that asthma disproportionately affects minority, urban, and low-income communities. The reasons are numerous and complicated – poor urban planning, pollution and hazardous materials, lack of data to pinpoint disparities, genetics, cultural differences, and beyond – and these issues must be tackled at the roots.

But what about right now? What about people who already have asthma and are beyond the reach of prevention? (more…)

By Ronnie and Lamar Tyler. I remember when my son was first diagnosed with asthma. I was a single mom living over 600 miles away from my family and friends. He was in the 2nd or 3rd grade, and it seemed like he was always getting sick.

The nurse would call me at work and say, “Please come pick up your son. He has a low grade fever and he threw up on the playground.” Of course any child who throws up at school has to go home. So, I had to leave work to pick him up (it took about 30 to 45 minutes to get to his school). When I picked him up and took him home he was fine. (more…)