Health Equity Coalition Case Analysis

Among minorities such as Asians, Hispanics, Indians, Native Americans, and Middle Easterners, the African American race has been affected tremendously by the health disparities in the United States. Currently, African Americans have significantly higher mortality rates from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, unintentional injuries, pregnancy, sudden infant death syndrome, and homicide than do whites Americans (Fiscella & Williams, 2004). While African Americans may lead in these categories, other minorities are not far behind in experiencing health disparities.

Barriers in health care can lead to disparities in meeting health needs and receiving appropriate care, including preventive services and the prevention of unnecessary hospitalizations (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012). In their 2008 annual report, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality lists several disparities’ in health care. They report that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States

With this increased research and effort, Americans would be able to intervene and make positive impacts with the state, tribal, and local levels to best address health disparities and inequalities. In efforts to thwart ethnic and minority disparities, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) passed the HHS Disparities Action Plan in order to establish “a nation free of disparities in health and health care, (Cooper 97)” and to implement a series of priorities, strategies, actions, and goals to achieve this vision. States, local communities, private organizations, and providers have additionally engaged in efforts to reduce health disparities. With the HHS Disparities Action Plan, the Department continuously assess policies and programs on racial and ethnic health disparities, watching to see which policies make an impact on the level of health care received by minorities. Similarly, The Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage expansions significantly increase coverage options for low and moderate income populations and particularly benefit the “vulnerable populations.” The ACA also includes provisions to strengthen the safety-net delivery system, improve

Health disparities endure tenacious issues in the United States of America, setting certain groups at higher risk of being uninsured, limited access to care, facing a poorer quality of care, and overall negative health outcomes. The high incidence of health disparities reflects the range of individual, social, economic, racial/ethnic and environmental magnitudes. Among the minority groups, African-Americans disproportionately access health care and the health disparities clearly glow in the nationwide.

Although the United States is a leader in healthcare innovation and spends more money on health care than any other industrialized nation, not all people in the United State benefit equally from this progress as a health care disparity exists between racial and ethnic minorities and white Americans. Health care disparity is defined as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social or economic disadvantage…adversely affecting groups of people who have systematically experienced greater social and/or economic obstacles to health and/or clean environment based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion” (National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities [NPAEHD], 2011, p. 3). Overwhelming evidence shows that racial and ethnic minorities receive inferior quality health care compared to white Americans, and multiple factors contribute to these disparities, including geography, lack of access to adequate health coverage, communication difficulties between patients and providers, cultural barriers, and lack of access to providers (American College of Physicians,

The disparities are around us every day and unless we educate ourselves and our communities these disparities will continue to wreak havoc on our neighborhoods and in the future, we will just be putting our kids and their kids in a continuing cycle of ignorance when we could have done more if it’s just educating the community we leave in, that alone could be enough to turn the tides in our people favor. In turn, I would hope this paper enlighten you on what is going on in our neighborhood and what we can do to correct this issue to preserve our autonomy. Racial and ethnic health disparities undermine what a healthcare system should stand for. Although the top three causes and seven of the 10 leading causes of death are the same for African Americans and whites, the risk factors and incidence, morbidity, and mortality rates for these diseases and injuries often are greater among blacks than whites (MMWR, 2005). Health disparities refer to differences in disease risks, incidence, morbidity, and mortality but most of all for the sake of this paper unequal access to quality health insurance amongst African American in the United States, which will also go hand and hand with the social and economic disadvantages. The disadvantages of health disparities usually affect people of African American descent who have systemically experienced a greater social and economic obstacle to health care.

As a FQHC, LSCC’s mission is to provide care to underserved and uninsured residents of our service area. In Central Texas, people who lack health insurance are disproportionately poor and disproportionately racial/ethnic minorities. Because of this confluence of socioeconomic indicators, LSCC’s patient populations are more likely than other groups to experience health disparities which can negatively impact a patient’s life from the day he or she is born, through development, through adulthood, and up until the day he or she dies. Excess morbidity and early mortality are the indelible scars dealt by health disparities upon LSCC’s target populations. In light of this reality, LSCC must go beyond the mere provision of care to ensure that our

Alabama ranks poorly on many health indicators. It is ranked 47th out of 50 in the nation in overall health; 43rd in cancer deaths, 2nd in deaths from cardiovascular disease and 3rd in the incidence of diabetes (Healthy People 2010). Also, Alabama is ranked 5th in the number of residents without health insurance. In my opinion, I believe the greatest challenge that these health disparities present is that very often socioeconomic status determines an individual’s health status. Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, I witnessed many people in my community suffer from health issues because compared to other ethnic groups, African Americans, tend to be far less trusting of physicians and their medical advice. Notably, the distrust is rooted in pass corrupt cases, such as, the 40 year Tuskegee syphilis study and the case of Henrietta Lacks. The lack of minority representation in health professions is my motivation for pursuing a career in a health-related profession.

Health disparities among African-Americans is a continuing problem that has been seen over many years. African-Americans have higher poverty rates, have lower rates of insurance coverage, and are more likely to be covered by Medicaid, than the White population (Copeland, 2005). This lack of insurance has led many of these individuals, to not seek treatment for illness, due to problem accessing health care (Kennedy, 2013). This leaves African-Americans with little to no treatment, which causes an increase of medical care that will be needed further on in their life or a sooner than expected death, caused by illness (Copeland, 2005).

Health disparities amongst African-Americans continue to destabilize not just the various communities but the health care system as a whole. Minority groups especially African-Americans are more probable to agonize from certain health illnesses, have higher mortality rates and lower life expectancy than another other race in the nation. Health disparities are complex and incorporate lifestyle choices, socioeconomic factors such as income, education and employment and access to care services. For the elimination of health disparities within the African-American community, there requires a need for equivalent access to health care and cultural suitable health ingenuities.

Terminating the medical care inequalities gap is a problematic, multifaceted task. A study that surveyed 14 racial and ethnic minority subgroups determined that health inequalities could be constricted by providing minorities with better health care coverage, more adequate language skills and assistance, and higher incomes. However, the authors noted that other important factors such as biases, uncertainty in the provision of medical care, and stereotyping would also need to be covered. Ending the disparity gap is not only ethically and professionally imperative, it remains an obvious civil rights inequality that must be addressed. Since the 1990s, federal government, health insurers, and other stakeholders have taken an increased interest in addressing health care inequalities among Hispanics groups. For instance, the Healthy People 2010 initiative highlighted the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities as a prominent public health goal for the next

It is probably the worst kept secret in the United States that minorities living in low income areas have the worst access to health care in the developed nation. Oftentimes they have to choose between going to the doctor to get treatment that could potentially save their lives or risk putting their families in millions of dollars’ worth of debt. Crooked CEOS jack up the prices of insulin, EpiPen’s, and a host of other lifesaving medications just to make an extra dollar. Research on Black Americans is typically underfunded, not to mention the underlying mistrust that people of color in low income communities can occasionally exhibit to doctors, police officers, etc. It is hard to trust someone in a position of authority when historically they have oppressed and hurt your people. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a study where black men were used as laboratory experiments to examine the effects of syphilis, is proof enough. Therefore, I propose a 3-step plan to help people livening in these situations.

In science and medicine, advancement and achievement occurs everyday. Unfortunately, this same progressive profession can be a microcosm for the discrimination that happens worldwide daily, and sometimes seems to be exacerbating alongside discoveries in health. It is undeniable, however disappointing, that health disparities exist. Because of biases and adversities based on an endless list of aspects including, but not limited to, location, race, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status, health disparities are extremely harmful to their victims. With a growing number of minority populations in every demographic, combating health disparities is necessary for the wellbeing of the overall population and improving medical care. My interest

Radical and Ethnic disparities continue to be a problem in America and have adversely affected the minority population health and health care. However, there has been remarkable improvement over the past centuries, but more work need to be done. Although ethnic and radical disparities exist for many complex and interacting factors, “such disparities are unacceptable.” Focusing on ways to reduce or eliminate health disparities can resolve these issues and improve the quality of care to every individual. This article provides an overview of the issues surrounding health and health care disparities, efforts to close the gaps, and recommendation for making further progress.

care.” The World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health has defined SDH as “the conditions in which people