National Minority Health Month

During April, we observe National Minority Health Month (NMHM). It was the brainchild of Booker T. Washington, an African American civil rights leader, educator, and author, and established in 1915 as a weeklong effort to recognize disparities in minority health. Nearly a century later, in 2002, the United States Congress recognized National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month. While I share my thoughts on many topics throughout the year, this one is particularly important to me because this observance is at the intersection of so many causes we work to advance. These include addressing disparities affecting communities of color, women, and other historically marginalized populations, such as the LGBTQIA+ community, who have also experienced inequities and the related impacts to health and well-being. We all deserve good health. When there are barriers for some people, we must look deeper to remove those barriers so that we all have the opportunity to live healthier lives and thrive.

Health disparities are differences: in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities for some, as compared to other racial, ethnic, or marginalized groups. They are the biproduct of unequal distribution of resources for generations (social or environmental), and of harmful policies, programs, and practices, based in racism. We can work to reduce disparities by improving conditions in the places where people live, work, learn, play and age. This month, across the country, there are a number of activities, and events to help quicken the pace of awareness and action.

As a leader in health care for many years and as a clinician by training, I am proud to lead this work, through my decisions and by my example. I am proud to bring the voice of the voiceless into rooms where it matters and to increase access to care and a better quality of life. Recent events, particularly the pandemic, have made it more challenging to keep that promise. Yet, we, at Kaiser Permanente, have stayed the course.

The pandemic not only led to illness and loss of life, it also made existing inequities worse. We saw record unemployment and financial strain, especially among service and frontline workers, where many communities of color earn their living. Many children struggled with virtual learning and lost access to nutritious meals. And, while health professionals worked to treat and reassure patients who were fearful of COVID-19 – other public crises loomed, including social injustice and systemic racism. All converged to deepen divides and negative impacts to health.

I am so thankful that at Kaiser Permanente we honored our commitment to equity, while shifting to meet the needs of the moment over the past two years. The pandemic tested our commitment; it did not weaken our resolve.

We demonstrated our continuous commitment through mass vaccination efforts with state and federal partners designed to be inclusive for all communities. In fact, over the past year, our partnership with the State of Maryland’s GoVax program touched more than 60,000 Marylanders with a focus on increasing vaccinations through education among LatinX and African American communities. 

It’s heartening to know that Kaiser Permanente has demonstrated commitment to health equity for some time, through programs like Good Health, Great Hair, bringing primary and behavioral health care into beauty salons and barbershops, and, by supporting Inner-City Capital Connections, which strengthens small, minority-owned businesses. And our investments have grown beyond programming into capital for full-scale spaces where communities can gather and thrive. Spaces like the Future Baltimore Community Center, which we will open later this month, where a shuttered library once stood.

For our members, our commitment to excellent, equitable care, means we are adding healthy years to their lives. New research from the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Research Institute, shows that from 2014-2017, patients insured by Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States had significantly higher life expectancies when compared to patients in a national dataset from the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The increase was 6 years longer for all of our members when compared with the national average. That is something to celebrate, and it provides encouragement to continue the work for more healthy years!

And lastly, we know that we are weaving cultural awareness and acumen into our care. Our region’s distinction in Multicultural Health Care for the delivery of culturally appropriate and quality improvement interventions serving diverse populations was renewed once more by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

I am reassured by all of the work we are doing together; yet, I know the road ahead is long. To achieve true health equity, which means fair and just treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, we must hold each other accountable for closing the gaps between what we say, and what we do. Let’s all commit to that challenge this month.