New campaign meant to help Black Californians take charge of their health
Navigating the health care system is not easy, and it's adding to a health gap for Black Americans. A new campaign is meant to empower Black Californians and help take charge of their health.
When it comes to health care, Rhonda Smith is on a mission.
"About 94% of Black Californians have health insurance, but getting access to the producers and services they need can often be a challenge," said Smith, the executive director of the California Black Health Network.
In coordination with the California Healthcare Foundation, the health network's new How Do I campaign was launched to help Black Californians navigate the health system.
"Whether it's related to paternal health, chronic diseases like diabetes, or cancer, or rare diseases like lupus or sickle cell, [and] even when it comes to end-of-life issues," Smith said.
Online are several resources, including patient rights, and questions to ask providers.
"I think, oftentimes, we collectively, as a community, don't know what questions to ask or that we have the right to ask questions," Smith said.
Health disparities among Black Americans are considered a public health crisis. A new study finds that over two decades, the Black population experienced more than 1.6 million excess deaths and 80 million years of life lost compared to the White population.
Dr. Harlan Krumholz with the Yale School of Medicine authored the research that found heart disease and cancer contributed most to the excess deaths, as well as infant mortality.
"Race is a social construct. It really doesn't have a strong root in biology," Dr. Krumholz said. "People aren't born predetermined that their life expectancies are going to be shorter but by where they live, the exposures that they have, the way the medical care system treats them simply because of their race."
The How Do I campaign aims to close those gaps through policy changes, advocacy and, perhaps most importantly, education.
"The bottom line of it all is around patient empowerment and to really help make the healthcare system work better for them," Smith said.