Bridging Health Equity Gaps Through Mentorship

Bridging Health Equity Gaps Through Mentorship

In the community of Lakeland, Fla., professionals in minority communities are seeing opportunities to close gaps for underserved students. One such professional is Dr. Alexander Mbakwem who wants to see more people who look like him in the medical profession.

To help make that happen, he is learning how to be a mentor to Polk County students. "The kids need to be exposed to people who are not athletes and singers," Mbakwem said. "There are not enough role models to say, ‘Go to school and don't commit crimes.' They need to see people who are doing well so they can say if he can do it, then I can do it."

With health care inequities hitting underrepresented and troubled communities across the country, this initiative develops healthy people and communities in myriad ways.

Read more in The Ledger’s “Black Professionals Seek to Mentor Minority Students”

Surviving the Night Shift...

Surviving the Night Shift at Hospitals

Night time and weekend care might be good for the hospital’s bottom line; not necessarily for the patient.  According to health writer Sandra Boodman, night and weekend care often result in “higher rates of errors and poorer patient outcomes.”  The sparse staff and slower pace translate into slower delayed responses.  But when there is no choice, here are some tips for protecting patients:

Here are some suggestions offered by experts to help patients and families protect themselves:

·         Ask if the hospital employs hospitalists or nocturnists, doctors who specialize in treating inpatients.

·         Check whether an experienced physician, not just a resident, is on duty and at the hospital at night outside of the emergency room.

·         Take your meds to the hospital with you (and any relevant records).

·         Keep after-hours information for your doctor; a call from your doctor can make the difference! 

For more on this topic, read:  Hospitals Turning To Nocturnists -- Doctors Who Work Nights -- To Improve Care

Florida Nursing Initiatives Transforming Health Care

Florida Nursing Initiatives Transforming Health Care

Two Florida initiatives promise better health care delivery for patients.  The nursing-led initiatives—simulation technology for teaching and an innovative coalition of nursing, industry, and policy leaders look to maximize health care delivery in the state and serve as a model for transforming health care nationwide.

Simulation technology uses “sophisticated, life-like robots” to emulate illnesses and treatment practices and procedures to train nursing students, greatly increasing the capacity of nursing schools.  The second—a “think tank” coalition of professionals from across the health spectrum is designed to both expand the role of nurses and strengthen nurse education and training.

Highlighted Clip for Wednesday, May 5, 2011:

"Health care reform starts with the health professionals"

Just as Florence Nightingale, the first nursing leader, transformed nursing practice more than 150 years ago, so are the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals in our generation leading the way in health care transformation.

Camden Childhood Obesity Rate Tops National Average

Camden Childhood Obesity Rate Tops National Average

Although obesity in children has reached epidemic proportions nationally, in Camden, NJ, the rate of obesity among children ages 3-19 is a staggering 40 percent. In response, the Camden-based Campbell Soup Company in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids, Food Trust and others, today pledged $10 million to dramatically decrease childhood obesity and hunger in Camden in the next decade.  The 10-year strategy includes providing increased access to affordable, healthy food; expanding availability of and participation in physical activity and physical education; and increasing nutrition and health education.  

Highlighted Clip for Wednesday, March 9, 2011:

"Campbell Soup Company Unveils Ten-Year Plan to Reduce Childhood Obesity and Hunger in Camden"

Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB - News) today unveiled a plan to reduce childhood obesity and hunger in Camden, Campbell’s home since 1869. The company will invest $10 million over ten years with the goal of reducing childhood obesity and hunger in Camden’s 23,000 children by 50 percent.

Let’s Prepare Workers for the Fastest Growing Jobs . . .Now!

Let’s Prepare Workers for the Fastest Growing Jobs . . .Now!

Now that the unemployment rate has remained above 9 percent for the past 21 months, economists want to increase what is considered the normal unemployment rate, currently around 5 percent.  The new norm may now be more like 6.7 percent, according to a paper released by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Monday.  Rather than focus on whether the current high unemployment rate is more likely permanent than temporary, the focus should be on preparing the unemployed for those labor markets expected to grow.  Let’s tackle the mismatch between workers’ skills and what employers are looking for.  According to DOL, home health aides top the list.

Highlighted Clip for Tuesday, February 15, 2011: 

"What Is the New Normal Unemployment Rate?"

Recent labor markets developments, including mismatches in the skills of workers and jobs, extended unemployment benefits, and very high rates of long-term joblessness, may be impeding the return to "normal" unemployment rates of around 5%. An examination of alternative measures of labor market conditions suggests that the "normal" unemployment rate may have risen as much as 1.7 percentage points to about 6.7%, although much of this increase is likely to prove temporary. Even with such an increase, sizable labor market slack is expected to persist for years.

Let’s Eradicate Childhood Obesity!

Let’s Eradicate Childhood Obesity!

Three cheers for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recognition that childhood obesity can begin long before school age. In a statement released yesterday, AAP said, “Feeding babies solid food before four months of age increases the babies' chances for becoming obese toddlers.”  The report also found that babies who are breast fed for at least the first four months of their lives are less likely than their formula fed counterparts to become obese.  This month,  the AAP joined First Lady Michelle Obama in support of her Let's Move! initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation!  It is so important for parents to begin the process of healthy eating while their children are infants and commit  to healthy living for the entire family.

Highlighted Clip for Tuesday, February 8, 2011:

Solid Foods and Infants, New Research From the AAP

Feeding babies solid food before four months of age increases the babies' chances for becoming obese toddlers, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Tips of the Trade: Some Help Keeping Focused in the New Year!

Tips of the Trade:

Some Help Keeping Focused in the New Year!

By: Tamara Braunstein
 

Parts three and four of my series on time-management highlight the need to create a balance between work and rest to optimize efficiency.

Focus

Keep your mind trained on results

Don’t worry about how much you still need to do, focus on your end goal and how each task will contribute toward end achievement.

It’s not shocking that taking a positive viewpoint toward your tasks is most beneficial to reducing stress levels. But a recent study found that staying focused in general can lead to a happier life!

Be fully present

Echoing the “Get Organized” section from part 1, it’s very important to be aware of upcoming meetings and events that may cut into scheduled work time, and plan accordingly.

Instead of viewing these as distractions, be engaged and participate. Don’t let an unfinished task distract you from paying attention – you’re not helping anyone (least of all yourself) by fretting over something that will still be there when you finish your meeting. Allowing yourself the time to take a break from thinking about a project and come back with a fresh mindset may even prove beneficial.

Take breaks

Breathe and Relax

When you start to feel overwhelmed or crunched for time, calm down. It may seem counterintuitive to stop working even for a minute if you’re in a rush, but take some deep breaths and relax your mind for a few minutes, or longer if you’ve just completed a major task. Set a timer to avoid worrying about the time.

Blink or Switch

Blink your eyes or do something else if you notice your eyes drying out or your mind starts to wander. If you have a desk job that involves staring at a computer screen for lengths of time throughout the day, this is especially important:

“Studies show that eye strain and other bothersome visual symptoms occur in 50 to 90 percent of computer workers … These problems can cause physical fatigue, decreased productivity and increased numbers of work errors.”

AND

“When working at a computer, people blink less frequently — about five times less than normal, according to studies.”

http://www.allaboutvision.com/cvs/irritated.htm

Stretch

Do you ever get home after a long day of work and feel exhausted, but all you did was sit at your desk? That’s because our bodies weren’t made to sit all day.

According to WebMD, stretching for just a few minutes at a time throughout your day can help to ward off pain and stiffness and boost energy. It could also help to avoid repetitive stress injuries, which are the “most common and costly” health problems in today’s workplace.



"When Bull Elephants Fight... Let's Not Dismantle Health Care Reform"

"When Bull Elephants Fight . . .

Let's Not Dismantle Health Care Reform"

by Pamela Taylor

I have to agree with President Obama; as "humbling" as the mid-term election results might be for his policies, Americans do not "want to re-litigate the health care reform debate or repeal some of the more popular consumer protections," provided in the recently passed Affordable Care Act. Health care reform has been a long-time coming.  "Tweaks"?  Of course, but starting over is unthinkable.

There has been no shortage of strongly debated presidential- led efforts to provide some type of government-sponsored health care for more than a century now.  Beginning with the Progressive Era ushered in by President Teddy Roosevelt to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, Johnson, Nixon, and (most memorable for me) Clinton.  Each failed.

Just as history repeats itself, each effort failed for some combination of the same reasons─competing special interest group agendas, ideological and policy differences, anti-socialism sentiments, federal versus state government advocates, small versus big business proponents and on and on.

The Affordable Care Act that was signed into law this past March is not everything to everyone.  But it can transform the nation's health care system and level the playing field for minorities and the poor.

Not all Americans have equal access to health care, nor do they have similar health care outcomes.  Low-income Americans, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly and other underserved populations often have higher rates of disease, fewer treatment options, and reduced access to care.  Many are also less likely to have health insurance than the population as a whole.

The Affordable Care Act law offers new strategies for managing chronic diseases, such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, and cancer, all of which disproportionately impact minorities.  Because infant mortality and post-birth complications are also higher in minority and low-income groups, the law includes funding for home visits for expectant mothers and newborns.

The new rules in the Act provide immediate relief to many Americans and promise hope to millions more who might be only one illness or accident away from medical and financial disaster.

The Act also eliminates many health insurers' discriminatory practices, expands Medicaid coverage, and even creates health insurance exchanges to assist consumers in finding higher-value, lower-cost coverage.  There is no doubt the Affordable Care Act will assure a  new health insurance marketplace by the time it is fully implemented in  2014. 

By improving access to quality health care for all Americans, the Act will definitely help to eliminate health disparities and also reduce health care costs, while emphasizing prevention and wellness. It offers individuals and families more control over their own care. 

These and other initiatives in the Act also increase racial and ethnic diversity in the health care professions, strengthen cultural competency training  and increase funding to the nation's community health and primary care centers.

Community health centers serve an estimated one in three low-income people, and one in four low-income minority residents.  The new resources in the Act will enable health centers to double the number of patients they serve. Combined with investments made by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the new law is expected to support 16,000 new primary care providers.

The Affordable Care Act is making an unprecedented investment in training and education opportunities for the nation's frontline healthcare workforce.  

Frontline workers fill about half of all health care jobs, and they deliver most of the nation’s direct patient care and public health services. However, their potential for delivering more and better care and filling critical vacancies in professional positions goes largely untapped.   This frontline workforce touches more patients than most other health care providers, and includes nurse, dental and physician assistants; laboratory technicians; paramedics; orderlies; substance abuse counselors; and medical records and administrative staff, among others.

Currently, numbering well over six million, the health care workforce is growing at a rate twice that of non-health employment, and especially among key frontline care-giving occupations.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts dramatic growth for all of the key frontline occupations. Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants are projected to grow at a rate of 25 percent; home health aides up to 47 percent; and personal and home care aides projected at over 60 percent by the time full health care reform is implemented.

The Act is not perfect; concern about its impact on small business is legitimate.  The constitutionality of forced participation is being challenged in state courts throughout the nation.  However, to lose sight of the remarkable reform initiatives based on partisan politics would be devastating and likely set US health care back another 100 years.  As the African proverb reminds us─when bull elephants fight, the grass always loses.

____________________________________________________________________

Pamela Taylor is a communications consultant with McKinney & Associates and manages the strategic communications campaign of  Jobs to Careers, a skills training and career advancement initiative for frontline health-care workers, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson and Hitachi Foundations.