ViTAL Chats: “Black Health Matters” Webinar Episode
Edited by Heenal Marfatia
“ViTAL Chats” is a podcast for people who are interested in ViTAL and passionate about health care innovations to learn more about our club activities, student involvement, as well as to discuss important topics in health care.
ViTAL, Northeastern’s Healthcare Innovation Core, are proud to announce our new podcast!
Our first episode, which recaps the Health Disparities Webinar hosted by ViTAL on June 30th, is now available on Spotify and SoundCloud. The transcript for this first episode can be found below. Sources for the information are also available cited.
0:00 — Introduction: Welcome to Vital’s first podcast episode. Vital is Northeastern’s healthcare innovation organization empowering future healthcare professionals with an entrepreneurial mindset. We encourage our student audience to explore beyond the traditional pathways that are often seen in the medical field.
For this episode, we want to address the Black Health Matters movement and recap the Healthcare disparities webinar we held in late June.
0:34 — The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013 after the shooting of African-American teen Trayvon Martin. Seven years later, the movement has become more empowered than ever after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. Numerous people have participated in the protests against the loss of black lives. They spill out onto the streets, fighting for justice. They march. They kneel. They sing. They chant and shout, urgent voices, muffled behind masks.
1:06 — While COVID-19 has fundamentally changed life for everyone across the nation,when it comes to health, the experience is not universal. The Black community are among those unequally affected. In many states, more than half of all deaths from the Coronavirus are African Americans. To put the number into context, according to media reports, in Chicago, where African Americans comprise a third of the city’s population, they account for half of those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, and almost three-quarters of COVID-19 deaths. Likewise, in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, African Americans make up 70% of deaths due to the coronavirus, but just 26% of the county’s population.
1:53 — However, the health disparity among the Black population is a long standing pattern not just for Covid-19, but also for other diseases. African-American women are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. The African-American infant mortality rate is twice the rate for white infants. African Americans are more likely to die from cancer and heart disease than whites, and are at greater risk for the onset of diabetes.
2:24 — So what are the causes of these patterns? The Black population are more likely to be uninsured in comparison to white people. The Medicaid program has been a lifeline for low-income Americans, pregnant people, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid eligibility was expanded for adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. However, this expansion is just an option for states. Because the Black population tends to be poorer than other demographic groups on average, public health insurance programs such as Medicaid are vital to ensure affordable health care and healthier outcomes. In states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), African Americans and other people of color are most likely to fall within a coverage gap. Studies show that 58 percent of the Black population live in the South where most states that have not expanded Medicaid are concentrated. They are also more likely to be uninsured, with Texas, Florida, and Georgia being home to the largest shares of uninsured African Americans. Additionally, social factors are also the causes of the health disparity among the black communities, including economic disadvantage, inequities in education, and lack of access to health care, impact a person’s ability to lead a healthy and productive life. Last but not least, racism acts as the core root of the issue. Black Americans have endured racism within American society for hundreds of years. Studies conducted over time have been consistent in proving that racism not only impacts social stratification, but also the ability of Black people to be healthy — both mentally and physically. This burden — a burden that is indeed inescapable for black people in this country — causes African Americans to die prematurely and experience chronic illnesses and mental health challenges at higher rates than white Americans.
4:35 — On June 30th, we had the honor to have Dr. Richard Wamai, Dr. Kayoll Gyan, and Dr. Neil Maniar as speakers for our Health Disparities Webinar. The speakers kicked off the event by defining health disparities. Dr. Gyan used the World Health Organization definition to define the term. She said if a health outcome is seen to a greater or lesser extent between populations, there is disparity. Race or ethnicity, sex, sexual identity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location all contribute to an individual’s ability to achieve good health. It is important to recognize the impact that social determinants have on health outcomes of specific populations. Dr. Maniar explained that the key distinction in health outcomes is race. The biological factors determine the comorbidity and they are not preventable. However, the disparities in healthcare also arise from other components which are avoidable, such as differences in access to care and quality of health service among races. Dr. Wamai could not agree more. He said that health disparities are avoidable, unnecessary, and unfair. He also pointed out that life expectancy is the indicator for a performance of the health system and America has a high life expectancy differences across the population compared to other developed countries due to socioeconomic.
6:04 — The speakers also shared thoughtful input on the misconceptions of health disparities in America. Dr. Wamai said that not a lot of people are aware of the variations in the population health matrix in the US. For example, many did not recognize that there is a significant difference in lifespan among American populations. Therefore, it is difficult for people to take action to close the inequality gap in the healthcare system. Dr. Gyan added the notion that the “black population has higher rates of dying from a specific disease”, which takes away the historical context of health disparities. People often think health inequity is solely caused by race or individual decision. This misconception makes the burden for good health rely on the individual, instead of the health system. Moreover, racism is the main cause of health disparities, not race. Racism is socially constructed as a way to categorize people and to link certain stereotypes. It leads to differences in life quality, accessibility to health care, and healthcare quality. Dr. Maniar provided some important insights from his past experiences as a Director of Health Equity Programs in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center. One of the research projects he worked on involved studying a Stop & Shop in Brookline, a wealthy neighborhood and comparing it to one in Dorchester, a lower income area. The front of the grocery store in Brookline was full of fresh and healthy food while the entrance in the Dorchester store displayed all-sugar drinks and junk food. This difference in grocery displays illustrated that the health inequality is not only about the physical and mental health, but also the social, intellectual, and environmental health.
8:00 — The speakers then shared experiences they obtained from their work and research on health disparities. Dr. Gyan explained that education is a leading indicator of health outcomes. In detail, people with higher education will have a higher income and have more opportunities like better health insurance. In cities such as Boston, most people are surrounded by the top universities in the country. However, not everyone has the chance to obtain a great education. Black and Hispanic populations are less likely to graduate from high school and colleges, particularly depending on the region. Dr. Wamai and Dr. Maniar also agreed that low education leads to systemic health disparities. Dr. Maniar added that education is a tool to ensure good health for everyone. It is the fundamental base to acquire knowledge, to have health literacy, and to allow people to navigate the complex health system. It is also a social capital, a locus of control at the community level for the community to advocate for themselves to prevent and address the health disparity. Additionally, we need to change the structure of our health system as the structures themselves are embodiments of historical racism.
9:20 — The speakers later discussed proposed solutions to remedy health inequity on the basis of race. Dr. Wamai said there are institutions and programs that have tried to reduce the health disparity over years. Healthy People 2010 and 2020 is a national program that attempts to address health disparities. It is a national report providing science-based, goals and objectives with 10-year targets designed to guide national health promotion and disease prevention efforts to improve the health of all people in the United States. Dr. Maniar added that all of the past efforts of closing the gap in health care inequality are incremental. Infant mortality is an important sector that determines the health inequity among the population groups. The Centering Pregnancy program is an effective model addressing the disparity in prenatal care and outcomes. This group based model creates social bonds and a sense of community that provides social support and increases prenatal care for all races.
10:25 — As of recent, particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth and telemedicine innovations have been rising in prominence, used to more effectively and efficiently help patients. However, Dr. Gyan pointed out that these interventions might exaggerate the existing disparities in the health care system as many people from lower socioeconomic classes have difficulty using health information and accessing the technology and Internet, due to lack of availability to technology and or access to information They might also face great barriers to comprehend and apply the information to their health decision making. Dr. Maniar indicated that technology has become a social determinant of health, along with other social factors, such as housing, nutrition, and environment. However, not everyone has the privilege to use technology. Moreover, health literacy also interferes with the effectiveness of telehealth. Even if the individuals have access to the technology, they might not effectively utilize the platform. Additionally, level of trust is also an issue that impacts patients’ willingness to try something new. The patients are afraid of losing their data and privacy. Therefore, it is important to build trust with the patients to help improve healthcare quality.
11:5- To close the webinar, Dr. Gyan shared three underlying principles put forth by Dr. Camara Jones, that will help us get closer to health equity. The first guideline is believing in the fact that we should provide resources according to need. The Second one is valuing all individuals and populations equally. Lastly, we should recognise and rectify historical injustices. Dr. Wamai and Dr. Maniar urged us as future healthcare professionals to emphasize and seek solutions to reduce the racial inequality in the healthcare system. When we see one group in our society disproportionately affected, it affects all of us. It is about all of us. We are all connected. Higher rates of death for one population affects the entire profile and associated risk for all.
12:45 — Thank you for listening. We hope this podcast provides you with great insights about the Black Health Matters movement and the existing disparity in American health care system. To learn more about Vital and get updated with our activities, you can follow us on social media, @vitalnortheastern, and check for updates on our website, www.northeastern.edu/vital.
ViTAL Chats’ next series will be student-focused discussions. In this series, some of our e-board members will be sharing their involvement in ViTAL and their journeys in pursuing health-related professions. Stay tuned to hear more about the series we will be hosting this fall!
We invite everyone to check ViTAL Chats out, share your thoughts/comments, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more updates!
Listen to ViTAL Chats at: https://soundcloud.com/user-254266302/black-live-matter-draft
