What’s the health impact when kids from minority or indigenous-language-speaking families get care that is not in their native tongue? According to Harvard Medical School researcher Ann Miller (right), there’s an 11 percent difference between them and native speakers in … Continue reading →
Another entry in the ledger regarding medical treatment of pregnant Black women, courtesy of the New York Times: How Unconscious Bias in Health Care Puts Pregnant Black Women at Higher Risk. Black women say that too frequently medical providers do … Continue reading →
Here’s another addition to the horrifying-instances-of-medical-disparities file. In a recent New York Times opinion piece, My Patient Did Not Have to Die the Way She Did, Dr. Anahita Dua recounts the harrowing case of a Black female complaining of pain in … Continue reading →
Does race help determine who’s most at risk for heart attack or stroke? After years of including this factor in its risk assessment tools, the American Heart Association is yanking it from the equation. In this New York Times story, … Continue reading →
Good news on breaking down language barriers for Hispanic patients? No, not really, according to a survey funded by a supplemental medical insurance provider, Aflac. In the national 2023 study of Spanish-speaking patients, a third of the 2,001 employed adults … Continue reading →
Here’s a chance to voice your opinions on health equity and optimal health outcomes — and in a way that’s more likely to result in change than simply mumbling around the water cooler. The Minnesota Department of Health is looking … Continue reading →
A recent Tip of the Week reported on research showing that more money and more education generally protects women from bad birth outcomes — except if you’re Black. Compared to the richest white mothers, the richest Black mothers and their … Continue reading →
Here’s another way of looking at the causes of health disparities. Thirty years ago, University of Michigan researcher Arline Geronimus advanced a theory that the stress of living in a racist society can lead to bad health outcomes for marginalized … Continue reading →
Get a close look at the continuing deep economic disparities among Minnesota’s different cultural groups in “The Economic Status of Minnesotans 2023,” a new report by the Minnesota State Demographic Center. The report analyzes data points that compare the state’s … Continue reading →
Take a look at this New York Times article — ‘I Don’t Want to Die’: Fighting Maternal Mortality Among Black Women — that describes the life-saving benefits of a St. Louis doula program. The article outlines the need for culturally specific care … Continue reading →
Need an extra jolt to convince people of color to get vaccinated? Here’s a video featuring public health officials and physicians of color explaining that COVID vaccines are safe and effective, and that getting vaccinated is socially responsible. The video … Continue reading →
Looking for insight on current efforts to reduce health disparities Minnesota? Here’s a series of video interviews with local experts and activists conducted by Minnesota’s US Senator Tina Smith. Subjects include: In a Q & A with Dr. Charity Reynolds, … Continue reading →
For Black patients who need convincing that it’s a good, safe move to get a COVID-19 vaccination, here’s a video from the Black Physicians Network of Columbus, Ohio that makes the case. Dozens of Ohio Black physicians in this short … Continue reading →