I have
always heard that when one door closes another one opens and so was
the case with Closing the Gap in Health Care. I graduated from the
Medical University of South Carolina in 1976. My education left me
with an indelible impression that poor people and African Americans
were far behind in health care. We were the sickest, had the
shortest life span, and were treated with the least amount of
dignity and respect by health care providers.
As Director of the
Office of Diversity at the Medical University of SC (MUSC) from 1996
to 2004, I learned a lot about being balanced and fair but also, it
reinforced my awareness of the disparity in health care for African
Americans particularly in South Carolina. I was dismayed by the
Institute of Medicine’s Report “Unequal Treatment in Medicine” that
showed minorities and the poor received less than optimal care from
the Health care community around the country. This report validated
what I felt and experienced as a rural health physician and founder
of a rural health clinic. I attended a meeting of the National Medical Association in
San Diego, California and heard a lecture where the physician
recommended that if we wanted to make a difference in our community
we should get involved in educating Black people about how to better
take care of themselves. I realized that health literacy was lacking
in the Black community and it did not matter whether the consumer
was educated or uneducated our plight was basically the same when it
came to health information.
As the door closed on my career as an
international competitor in masters track and field, I realized now
was the time to do something more. My early experience as a high
school teacher gave me a unique opportunity to use talents that I
learned in the classroom to teach people how to take care of
themselves. A very good friend and a cousin encouraged me to talk
with a radio station about sharing health tips on the air. The local
radio station recognized that the information was good, different,
and culturally sensitive.
Last
year my daughter suggested that we go online with weekly health
tips. Closing the Gap Health Care, Inc is the 2005 winner of the
Health Disparity Award given by the Department of Health and Human
Services for outstanding and innovative community service. We
received our 501c status in 2005. Our work is copyrighted.
