^Jort lattò ®bseruer_____________________ September 25, 2002
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1110 Portland O bserver
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Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver.
‘Take A Loved One To The Doctor’ — Is It Really That Simple?
40 percent more likely to die o f a stroke
B arbara L. B aylor
than whites. HIV/AIDS is ravaging our
The Bush Administration declared
communities. Prostate and breast cancer
Monday as national Take A Loved One
are kill ing our black men and women, and
to the Doctor Day. The campaign was
we are dying from complications of dia
focused on the African American com
betes, hypertension and other chronic
munity and, given African-Americans'
diseases.
relatively poor health status, this special
W hile more visits to the doctor can
attention may be warranted.
help, it will take a lot more to close these
But this simplistic approach — more
'. __ *
'_£.---- A
health gaps.
visits to the doctor — ignores more fun
Barbara L. Baylor
A recent report by the Institute of
damental causes o f the health dispari
Medicine found that bias, prejudice and stereotyping
ties: prejudice, stereotyping, lower quality health
care, and lack of health insurance. It will take a lot more by providers contribute to disparities in health care.
than getting people to the doctor to reverse these The congressionally mandated study, Unequal Treat
ment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in
injustices.
Everyday we see grim statistics that remind us that Health Care reports that racial and ethnic minorities
great health disparities still exist for African Ameri tend to receive lower quality health care than whites
cans. Our babies are dying at twice the rate of non- do, even when insurance status, income, age and
African American babies. African-Americans are 30 severity of conditions are comparable.
Further, the report notes that these differences in
percent more likely to die of cancer than whites. We
health
care occur in the context of broader historic and
are 30 percent more likely to die of heart disease and
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contemporary social and economic inequality, and
persistent racial and ethnic discrimination in many
sectors of American life.
The report finds that racial and ethnic minorities are
less likely than others to be given appropriate cardiac
medications or to undergo bypass surgery, and are
less likely to receive kidney dialysis or transplants. It
painfully points out that there are significant racial
differences in who receives appropriate diagnostic
tests and treatments for cancer and in who is likely to
The Administrations focus
solely on seeing a doctor
trivializes a much more
monumental issue - the lack o f
accessible, comprehensive, affor
dable, quality health care fo r all.
— Barbara L. Baylor.
k
receive the most sophisticated treatments for HIV
infection. The research also found that minorities are
more likely to receive certain less desirable proce
dures such as lower limb amputations for diabetes
and other conditions. The Institute's report begins to
seriously address the age-old question o f why health
disparities continue to exist among racial and ethnic
minorities.
The Administration's focus on seeing a doctor
trivializes a much more monumental issue - the lack of
accessible, comprehensive, affordable, quality health
care for all in this country.
There are now over 40 million Americans without
health care insurance, many of whom are racial and
ethnic minorities. Racial and ethnic minorities are
twice as likely to be uninsured as whites. In addition,
many people of color have health insurance, but are
under-insured and lack coverage for needed items like
prescription medicine. This is especially true of racial
and ethnic minorities who tend to be enrolled in more
affordable, but lower-end health plans — so called
because they are characterized by poorer coverage
and stricter limits on covered services. As a result,
racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be
without a regular doctor. In fact, 28 percent of African-
A m ericans,41 percentofH ispanicsand31 percent of
Asians do not have a regular doctor compared to 19
percent o f Euro-Americans.
The Bush Administration wants us to believe that
the way to eliminate health disparities is as simple as
going to a doctor for a regular health check up. The
Administration is also fond o f touting hard work, a
proper diet, exercise and changing attitudes about
health as the keys to good health.
Again, all of these things are important but we also
need to have strong health infrastructures in our
communities, doctors who are not biased, health care
providers who will listen, and affordable, accessible,
quality health care!
Barbara T. Baylor has a Master o f Public Health
and presently serves as the Minister fo r Health and
Wellness with the United Church o f Christ' Justice
and Witness Ministries, based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Action Needed to Stop Cuts to Seniors
Elders in Action, a leading advocate for area se
niors, has declared a state o f cm c.gency for Oregon’s
elders. Even though the Legislature agreed last week
to send a package containing a combination o f tem
porary income taxes, borrowing and cuts, advocates
are concerned that if voters don’t pass the measure,
Oregon’s senior and disability services will face a 20
percent cut.
If the m easure is voted dow n, cuts will im pact
thousands o f seniors throughout O regon im m edi
ately follow ing the January 28 election. Elderly
people in nursing hom es and assisted living pro
gram s face the possibility o f being turned out of
their hom es due to lack o f support and the closing
o f facilities, m aking O reg o n ’s shortage o f affo rd
able senior housing m ore serious than ever. V ol
unteer program s, disability and m edical support
are also being drastically reduced.
Programs such as Oregon Project Independence,
which helps seniors remain in their homes and live
independently, will be eliminated, affecting nearly 900
seniors. Cuts will squeeze an already severe caregiver
workforce shortage.
Elders in Action is a nonprofit organization work
ing to improve the quality o f life fo r older adults in
the Portland area through a variety o f services and
volunteer-run programs. For more information, call
503-823-5269.