Monthly Archive for January 2007
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January 30, 2007
Lack of Dental Care Leaves Poor in Agony
Now that Universal Health Care is all the buzz in Washington, we shouldn't forget about dental care.
From the Seattle Times:
Affordable health care is more than just free pills.Even as improving the nation's health-insurance system gains traction in Congress and in state capitols, dentists and advocates for the poor complain that dental care remains a neglected stepchild among health priorities. In Washington, Gov. Christine Gregoire, while promoting universal health coverage for all children, has not proposed any increase in money for dental care for the poor.
The disparity leaves dentists warning the governor and the state Legislature that poor and uninsured people will face an increasingly tough time getting decent dental care. And advocates note that poor oral health is the root of a host of life-threatening and expensive medical problems that contribute to an overloaded health-care system.
Posted by: Staff on January 30, 2007
Category: Health Disparities
January 23, 2007
Disparity in Breast Cancer Treatment
The National Cancer Institute has an informative fact sheet of health disparities. One example of a disparity is African-Americans have a higher cancer mortality rate than other groups.
NYTimes.com is reporting on a new study published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology that argues education, geographic region, socio-economic status, and BMI were all "...significantly associated with receipt of intentionally reduced doses of chemotherapy."
The authors offer up this possible explanation, "...physicians may have anticipated a failure to understand and stick with what is often a long and unpleasant treatment, so they pre-emptively reduced the dose in hopes of encouraging compliance."
Posted by: Staff on January 23, 2007
Category: Breast Cancer; Health Disparities; Triple Negative Breast Cancer
January 22, 2007
San Bernardino County uses Multifaceted Attack on Health Disparities
To fight health disparities, San Bernardino County is using a multifaceted approach.
Involved in the battle is a community outreach center, a program called Healthy Communities which promotes healthy choices, a program that teaches traditional African dance and provides nutritional information (FAME), online cookbooks that feature traditional dishes updated to be more nutritious, First Choice Youth to Youth Community Outreach Workers provides HIV/AIDS awareness training, and 7 plus 1 Health Ministries.
Some of the health disparity statistics for San Bernardino are:
72 percent of Hispanic and black adults in the county are overweight or obese, compared to 62 percent of white residents.
11 percent of Hispanic adults and 8 percent of black adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, compared to 7 percent of white adults in the county.
40 percent of Hispanic adults and 36 percent of black residents get no moderate or vigorous exercise, compared to 24 percent of whites.
38 percent of black adults in the county eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, compared to 44 percent of white adults and 52 percent of Hispanics.
15 percent of Hispanic and 20 percent of black fifth-grade students meet all six California fitness standards, compared to 26 percent of white students.
Diabetes death rate in the county is 23 percent higher for black residents than for whites and Hispanics.
Stroke death rate for blacks is 36 percent higher than whites in the county.
Prostate cancer death rate is 80 percent higher among black residents than for whites.
Posted by: Staff on January 22, 2007
Category: Health Disparities
January 12, 2007
Hospital Chain Agrees to Refund Money in Over Charging Suit
From SFGate.com:
A settlement providing as much as $423 million in refunds and discounts to more than 780,000 uninsured patients at Catholic Healthcare West hospitals was approved Thursday by a Superior Court judge.
The nonprofit company, which operates 43 hospitals in California, Nevada and Arizona, was accused in an October 2005 lawsuit of overcharging its uninsured patients and sending aggressive collection agencies after them when they couldn't pay.
This settlement may affect the common practice of charging uninsured patients more than insured patients for the same service.
You can read the full story at SFGate.com.
You can find the settlement information here.
Posted by: Staff on January 12, 2007
Category: Health Disparities; Health Inequities
January 08, 2007
Cultural Competency: An Intervention to Reduce Health Disparities
The Center for Reducing Health Disparities is glad to announce the next in our Works in Progress series, "Cultural Competency: An Intervention to Reduce Health Disparities" will be presented by Sonja Harris-Haywood, MD, MS, Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Family Medicine-Research Division at Case Western Reserve University.
(Note - rescheduled from December.)
Date: Friday, January 12, 2007
Time: 3-4 pm
Place: Case Medical School- T503 10900 Euclid Avenue.
Please RSVP your attendance to Sharon Lowstetter at slowstetter@metrohealth.org or by phone 778-8484. We look forward to seeing you there!
Posted by: Staff on January 08, 2007
Category: Works in Progress
January 03, 2007
Education and Longer Lives
NYTimes.com is reporting a 'surprising' find, staying in school could lead to a longer life.
The answers, [Dr. James Smith] and others say, have been a surprise. The one social factor that researchers agree is consistently linked to longer lives in every country where it has been studied is education. It is more important than race; it obliterates any effects of income.
The article also discusses wealth, race, smoking, and other contributing factors.
Posted by: Staff on January 03, 2007
Category: Health Disparities; Health Inequities; Longevity