Reply To: From Separate to Equal and The 1619 Project

[Lauren_Dones]

#785

b) Can you draw a distinction between equality & equity with regards to healthcare? How do elements of From Separate to Equal and The1619 Project exacerbate the issues? What are the solutions?

I think it is important to understand that not only do all people deserve access to quality healthcare in an equally distributed way, but it is imperative that leaders in all aspects of healthcare, whether that be from policy making to bedside nursing, should fully represent all members of society on all levels. This is important because in order to ensure that our leaders are advocating for the reform of all issues faced as it pertains to the American healthcare system, we need informed and diverse perspectives. Equity is important in order to level the playing field so that all people can equally benefit from opportunities. From Separate to Equal and The 1619 Project give us examples of how issues of equality and equity are exacerbated by systems put in place that make it extremely hard for black people to not only have a seat at the table, but to also be listened to and considered. For example the film exposed some of the obstacles black doctors had to endure in order to receive the training that they required. Going forward, the solution is to make sure that we not only work to provide wide-spread, equal access to quality healthcare, but that we also remove, through task forks, community liaisons, etc., obstacles previously put in place that make it hard for people to get the most out of their healthcare experience. Lastly, we need to see a national requirement that permanent systems be put in place, which critically evaluate the presence of bias in healthcare.

e) How do the stories and research that supported slavery mentioned in The 1619 Project tie to health related issues for African-Americans today? Do you think matters of wealth, income, land ownership and access to credit play a role in healthy/unhealthy communities? What advantage/disadvantage do payday cash stores play in today’s society?

The stories and research from The 1619 Project broadcast the many obstacles African-Americans face, as well as explain the reasons many mistrust the healthcare system. A few of the articles even explicitly highlight the presence of bias and miseducation of those currently working in the field of medicine on the differences between African-Americans and whites, which originates from a deliberate effort to teach that the white race is superior in many ways. Of course individual economic situations play a role in the health of communities. Healthcare is not free, and at the end of the day it comes down to who is going to pay for it. Those who have to pay out of pocket or simply do not have the funds are going to be deterred from being proactive in seeking out treatment. Ultimately, this does cause low-income communities to be among the sickest. The advertised benefit of payday cash stores is that they provide loan options for those that have little or no credit, and in a short amount of time, a borrower can walk out of a store with a cash advance. Unfortunately, payday cash stores are aware that the majority of their borrowers will be unable to repay their loan in full by the next pay day, and they exploit their borrowers by issuing high interest rates in order to make a large profit. The financially stretched then find themselves in a cycle of debt that often greatly exceeds their original loan.