Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - July 20, 2008
Peter Bailey, pbailey@miamiherald.com
As blacks in Miami-Dade face disproportionately higher mortality rates than their counterparts, county health officials are weighing the significance of race in obtaining quality healthcare.
On Monday, a coalition of medical experts and civic leaders will gather at Florida Memorial University for a town-hall forum to address what leaders are calling the epidemic of health disparities facing blacks.
"There's a problem when we're seeing that a No. 1 risk factor to one's health is being black," said organizer Marsha Jenakovich, senior health and evaluation specialist for Health Council of South Florida Inc., a local nonprofit that specializes in health planning initiatives.
Jenakovich said many of the health disparities facing blacks can be linked directly to race regardless of income and socioeconomic status.
The numbers are bleak.
Blacks in Miami-Dade are more than twice as likely to die of diseases such as asthma, cancer and diabetes as their white and Hispanic counterparts, county health records show. They are eight times more likely to die of HIV/AIDS.
While factors such as diet and stress may factor into those disparities, officials argue the numbers point to the larger issue of the contentious role race plays in American society.
"We're trying to understand why neighborhoods in the county with people of primarily African and Caribbean descent suffer worse health outcomes than their counterparts," said Karen Weller, director of community health and planning for the Miami-Dade Department of Health. "As we identify the reasons for the disparities we can reduce them."
Officials plan to implement a Work Site Wellness Program which would foster better healthcare practices at work like lunchtime walks.
Jenakovich said the Health Council is currently creating an inventory of healthcare providers who have been trained in cultural competence courses, which enables them to better serve clients of diverse backgrounds.
But the success of narrowing the gap may ultimately depend upon the patients themselves.
The Black Community Health Forum takes place 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Lou Rawls Center for the Performing Arts at Florida Memorial University, 15800 NW 42nd Ave. in Miami Gardens. Admission is free. To RSVP, call the Health Council of South Florida at 305-592-1452.
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