By Kimberly N. Alleyne
America’s Wire

WASHINGTON, IL – Health disparities are creating economic burdens for families, communities and the nation’s health care system. Across the country, infant mortality and chronic diseases continue to affect people of color at rates far higher than those for whites. In recent years, the focus has increased on the impact of disparities on minority communities, with public officials, community activists, civic leaders and health care experts proposing ways to improve access to medical care and raise awareness of positive benefits of preventive care. But health experts say the economic toll of health disparities and substantial costs associated with lost productivity are being overlooked.

“Racial and ethnic groups have higher incidences of diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer, et cetera,” says Brian D. Smedley, vice president and director of the Health Policy Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, D.C. “That prevalence [of chronic diseases] comes with a price tag in terms of excess direct medical costs, nearly $230 billion over a four-year period that we studied.”

The study found that between 2003 and 2006, 30.6 percent of direct medical care expenditures for African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics were excess costs due to health inequalities. The study estimated that eliminating health disparities for minorities would have reduced direct medical expenditures by $229.4 billion and slashed indirect costs associated with illness and premature death by more than $1 trillion for those years.

The 2010 National Healthcare Disparities Report documented that racial and ethnic minorities often receive poorer care than whites while facing more barriers in seeking preventive care, acute treatment or chronic disease management. The report is produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

 According to the report, minorities also experience rates of preventable hospitalization that, in some cases, are almost double that of whites; African-Americans have higher hospitalization rates from influenza; and black children are twice as likely to be hospitalized and more than four times as likely to die from asthma as white children.

Thomas A. LaVeist, director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, says increased health risks for minorities are directly related to where they live and work.

“The fact is that we have an inequitable distribution of opportunity,” he says. “Where you live determines what schools your children get to attend. It determines if your house will appreciate or de-appreciate and whether you can create wealth. It also determines whether you are exposed to environmental inequalities and the type of health care facility that is available to you. Where you live, work, play and pray affects quality of health care.”

Jennifer Ng’andu, deputy director of the Health Policy Project at the National Council of La Raza in Washington, speaks even more pointedly: “If we look at communities of color, we see that many racial and ethnic groups live in unsafe environments, there is poor housing and there is loss of productivity because of illness.

“Essentially, every time a person of color goes to the doctor, 30 percent of their bill is due to health disparities so they end up paying more in the doctor’s office because over time they receive health care that is not appropriate or effective,” she says. “They become needlessly sicker and are more likely to die prematurely, so they end up paying more medical expenses.”

Health experts and civic leaders say financial strains are adversely manifested in varying ways in communities and have a huge impact on children, often involving academic performance.
“There are direct biological consequences in that a child who does not have good access to health services will experience developmental setbacks because they are sick or their parents are sick,” Ng’andu says. “It makes it harder for them to achieve in school and can have serious consequences on their future. We have to invest in children early, their health early, their education, making sure they have healthy communities to grow in.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the percentage of children and adolescents with a chronic disease swelled from 1.8 percent in the 1960s to 7 percent in 2004. The increase has an adverse impact on childhood education. For example, a report by the American Lung Association says asthma is a leading cause nationwide of youngsters missing school. Asthma affects Puerto Rican and African-American children more often, perhaps because they often live in communities with poor air quality.

“Studies show a spread of diabetes among children, but particularly among black and Latino children,” says Sinsi Hernandez-Cancio, director of health equity at Families USA in Washington.

“There are long-term effects. You are more likely to lose a limb, have a heart attack or lose a kidney, and the longer you have the disease, the greater the toll on life quality. We can expect to see this as these children grow older. There is also an impact on children when other family members have a disease because they sometime miss school to care for an ill family member.” 

Because racial and ethnic health care disparities can hinder a breadwinner’s earning capacity, the entire family is often affected adversely.

“Kids are forced to be translators at the doctor’s office,” Hernandez-Cancio says. “That has an enormous toll, so they see firsthand all this information on how mommy or daddy is not doing well. We have had stories of children staying home to take care of their parent or another sibling. Stresses such as these affect their ability to develop into an independent, productive individual in the future.”

Ng’andu agrees. “When kids are hungry, when they are exposed to serious nerve stress and environmental stresses,” she says, “it affects them and their ability to learn and perform well academically. Investment in their health is very important to their future success and achievement and also their ability to work and contribute to their communities.”  

 Hernandez-Cancio says disparities in infant mortality rates also take a toll on minority families. While the 2010 rate for whites was 5.63 per 1,000 live births, it was 13.31 per 1,000 live births for African-Americans, 9.22 for American Indians or Alaska Natives and 7.71 for Puerto Ricans, according to the CDC.  

 ”The infant mortality rate is considered a very basic measure of how a country’s health care system is working, and it is an indication of other symptoms,” she says. “We rank 41st globally. As an advanced, wealthy nation, we are not doing well.”  

 Hernandez-Cancio says that disparities in chronic diseases is also a major problem, that millions of dollars are spent battling such diseases that have been treated improperly or, in some cases, could have been prevented.

Each year, she says, health care inequities result in 100,000 premature deaths in the United States, and many are attributed to chronic diseases. “The health care system is so expensive. If you look at the numbers, a huge portion of health care costs is improving chronic diseases. When these diseases spiral out of control, it raises costs. We have to get a handle on these diseases to bend the cost curve.”

Data indicate extreme disparities in chronic diseases, including heart disease, certain cancers, strokes, diabetes and arthritis. According to the CDC, these diseases cause seven of 10 deaths annually in America and more than 75 percent of health care costs.

Smedley says African-Americans experience higher incidences of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and other chronic diseases. According to the Joint Center study, chronic diseases cost the U.S. health care system nearly $232 billion from 2003 to 2006. Early detection, quality of care and improving prevention management are important as it becomes clear that doing so in communities of color is crucial to curbing costs. “If we don’t get a handle on these diseases, it is going to be harder to manage the system,” Hernandez-Cancio says, adding that prevention can alleviate many costs.

The health care reform law includes provisions that improve financing and delivery while also improving access for vulnerable populations and investing in prevention.

“Investments in prevention go a long way in preventing racial and ethnic health inequality in the first place,” Smedley says. “About five cents of every federal health dollar is spent on prevention. Prevention works. It works to keep our population healthy and reduces health care costs.

“We pay now or pay later. We’re going to be paying the price in higher health care costs, but also a population that is less healthy and unable to participate in the nation’s economic recovery.” Racial and ethnic minorities are much less likely than the rest of the population to have health insurance, according to the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health, a component of HHS. These minorities constitute about one-third of the U.S. population but are more than half of the 50 million uninsured.

They are also overrepresented among the 56 million people in America with inadequate access to a primary care physician. The Joint Center study found that “the combined costs of health inequalities and premature death in the United States were $1.24 trillion” between 2003 and 2006.

The cost is expected to increase. By 2042, people of color are expected to be 50 percent of the U.S. population, signaling significant economic implications for minority communities. “About 47 percent of American children under 18 are children of color,” Hernandez-Cancio says. “That really indicates this is the future of this country. The fact that they don’t have the mentorship who can provide structure for them, either because of financial pressures, chronic disease or premature deaths, can be highly detrimental to their future.

“Whether or not you are directly connected to these communities, you have a vested interested in their development and future.
“We cannot afford not to address financial burdens and health care disparities that contribute directly to instability of our health care system. We have to tackle this problem now.”

America’s Wire is an independent, nonprofit news service run by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education and funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information, visit www.americaswire.org or contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.com.

By Kimberly N. Alleyne
America’s Wire

Washington, DC (BlackNews.com) — Health disparities are creating economic burdens for families, communities and the nation’s health care system. Across the country, infant mortality and chronic diseases continue to affect people of color at rates far higher than those for whites.

In recent years, the focus has increased on the impact of disparities on minority communities, with public officials, community activists, civic leaders and health care experts proposing ways to improve access to medical care and raise awareness of positive benefits of preventive care. But health experts say the economic toll of health disparities and substantial costs associated with lost productivity are being overlooked.

“Racial and ethnic groups have higher incidences of diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer, et cetera,” says Brian D. Smedley, vice president and director of the Health Policy Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, D.C. “That prevalence [of chronic diseases] comes with a price tag in terms of excess direct medical costs, nearly $230 billion over a four-year period that we studied.”

The study found that between 2003 and 2006, 30.6 percent of direct medical care expenditures for African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics were excess costs due to health inequalities. The study estimated that eliminating health disparities for minorities would have reduced direct medical expenditures by $229.4 billion and slashed indirect costs associated with illness and premature death by more than $1 trillion for those years.

The 2010 National Healthcare Disparities Report documented that racial and ethnic minorities often receive poorer care than whites while facing more barriers in seeking preventive care, acute treatment or chronic disease management. The report is produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to the report, minorities also experience rates of preventable hospitalization that, in some cases, are almost double that of whites; African-Americans have higher hospitalization rates from influenza; and black children are twice as likely to be hospitalized and more than four times as likely to die from asthma as white children.

Thomas A. LaVeist, director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, says increased health risks for minorities are directly related to where they live and work.

“The fact is that we have an inequitable distribution of opportunity,” he says. “Where you live determines what schools your children get to attend. It determines if your house will appreciate or de-appreciate and whether you can create wealth. It also determines whether you are exposed to environmental inequalities and the type of health care facility that is available to you. Where you live, work, play and pray affects quality of health care.”

Jennifer Ng’andu, deputy director of the Health Policy Project at the National Council of La Raza in Washington, speaks even more pointedly: “If we look at communities of color, we see that many racial and ethnic groups live in unsafe environments, there is poor housing and there is loss of productivity because of illness.

“Essentially, every time a person of color goes to the doctor, 30 percent of their bill is due to health disparities so they end up paying more in the doctor’s office because over time they receive health care that is not appropriate or effective,” she says. “They become needlessly sicker and are more likely to die prematurely, so they end up paying more medical expenses.”

Health experts and civic leaders say financial strains are adversely manifested in varying ways in communities and have a huge impact on children, often involving academic performance.

“There are direct biological consequences in that a child who does not have good access to health services will experience developmental setbacks because they are sick or their parents are sick,” Ng’andu says. “It makes it harder for them to achieve in school and can have serious consequences on their future. We have to invest in children early, their health early, their education, making sure they have healthy communities to grow in.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the percentage of children and adolescents with a chronic disease swelled from 1.8 percent in the 1960s to 7 percent in 2004. The increase has an adverse impact on childhood education. For example, a report by the American Lung Association says asthma is a leading cause nationwide of youngsters missing school. Asthma affects Puerto Rican and African-American children more often, perhaps because they often live in communities with poor air quality.

“Studies show a spread of diabetes among children, but particularly among black and Latino children,” says Sinsi Hernandez-Cancio, director of health equity at Families USA in Washington.

“There are long-term effects. You are more likely to lose a limb, have a heart attack or lose a kidney, and the longer you have the disease, the greater the toll on life quality. We can expect to see this as these children grow older. There is also an impact on children when other family members have a disease because they sometime miss school to care for an ill family member.”

Because racial and ethnic health care disparities can hinder a breadwinner’s earning capacity, the entire family is often affected adversely.

“Kids are forced to be translators at the doctor’s office,” Hernandez-Cancio says. “That has an enormous toll, so they see firsthand all this information on how mommy or daddy is not doing well. We have had stories of children staying home to take care of their parent or another sibling. Stresses such as these affect their ability to develop into an independent, productive individual in the future.”

Ng’andu agrees. “When kids are hungry, when they are exposed to serious nerve stress and environmental stresses,” she says, “it affects them and their ability to learn and perform well academically. Investment in their health is very important to their future success and achievement and also their ability to work and contribute to their communities.”

Hernandez-Cancio says disparities in infant mortality rates also take a toll on minority families. While the 2010 rate for whites was 5.63 per 1,000 live births, it was 13.31 per 1,000 live births for African-Americans, 9.22 for American Indians or Alaska Natives and 7.71 for Puerto Ricans, according to the CDC.

“The infant mortality rate is considered a very basic measure of how a country’s health care system is working, and it is an indication of other symptoms,” she says. “We rank 41st globally. As an advanced, wealthy nation, we are not doing well.”

Hernandez-Cancio says that disparities in chronic diseases is also a major problem, that millions of dollars are spent battling such diseases that have been treated improperly or, in some cases, could have been prevented.

Each year, she says, health care inequities result in 100,000 premature deaths in the United States, and many are attributed to chronic diseases. “The health care system is so expensive. If you look at the numbers, a huge portion of health care costs is improving chronic diseases. When these diseases spiral out of control, it raises costs. We have to get a handle on these diseases to bend the cost curve.”

Data indicate extreme disparities in chronic diseases, including heart disease, certain cancers, strokes, diabetes and arthritis. According to the CDC, these diseases cause seven of 10 deaths annually in America and more than 75 percent of health care costs.

Smedley says African-Americans experience higher incidences of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and other chronic diseases. According to the Joint Center study, chronic diseases cost the U.S. health care system nearly $232 billion from 2003 to 2006.

Early detection, quality of care and improving prevention management are important as it becomes clear that doing so in communities of color is crucial to curbing costs. “If we don’t get a handle on these diseases, it is going to be harder to manage the system,” Hernandez-Cancio says, adding that prevention can alleviate many costs.

The health care reform law includes provisions that improve financing and delivery while also improving access for vulnerable populations and investing in prevention.

“Investments in prevention go a long way in preventing racial and ethnic health inequality in the first place,” Smedley says. “About five cents of every federal health dollar is spent on prevention. Prevention works. It works to keep our population healthy and reduces health care costs.

“We pay now or pay later. We’re going to be paying the price in higher health care costs, but also a population that is less healthy and unable to participate in the nation’s economic recovery.”

Racial and ethnic minorities are much less likely than the rest of the population to have health insurance, according to the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health, a component of HHS. These minorities constitute about one-third of the U.S. population but are more than half of the 50 million uninsured.

They are also overrepresented among the 56 million people in America with inadequate access to a primary care physician. The Joint Center study found that “the combined costs of health inequalities and premature death in the United States were $1.24 trillion” between 2003 and 2006.

The cost is expected to increase. By 2042, people of color are expected to be 50 percent of the U.S. population, signaling significant economic implications for minority communities.

“About 47 percent of American children under 18 are children of color,” Hernandez-Cancio says. “That really indicates this is the future of this country. The fact that they don’t have the mentorship who can provide structure for them, either because of financial pressures, chronic disease or premature deaths, can be highly detrimental to their future.

“Whether or not you are directly connected to these communities, you have a vested interested in their development and future.

“We cannot afford not to address financial burdens and health care disparities that contribute directly to instability of our health care system. We have to tackle this problem now.”

[Click To Enlarge]

America’s Wire is an independent, nonprofit news service run by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education and funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information, visit www.americaswire.org or contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.com.

Focus Is Prevention, Detection, Intervention

Los Angeles, CA (BlackNews.com) — Cancer and how the disease disproportionately affects the African American community is the focus of the upcoming event – Cancer Outreach Workshop: Prevention, Detection, Intervention, set to take place Sat., March 24, 9 a.m.-12 noon at the Peace Apostolic Church, Inc., 21224 South Figueroa in Carson, CA.

The workshop, which will include on-site mammogram screenings at no cost to participants, is free and open to the public.

Presented by the California Oncology Research Institute (CORI), in partnership with The Global Wellness Project, four doctors, all cancer specialists, will participate in discussions on not only the various cancers (colon, breast, prostate and general oncology), but also on prevention, detection and intervention. A question/answer session will follow.

Scheduled to speak are Dr. Ronald Hurst and Dr. Anton Bilchik, directors of CORI, as well as Dr. Jenny Ru and Dr. Thomas Johnson.

Dr. Bilchik, co-founder and Medical Director for CORI, said he started CORI because he saw a need. “I realized that we were presenting our cancer research around the world hoping to improve standards for cancer care, however this information was not getting to the people that needed it the most – underserved people particularly in the inner city,” he says. “I also realized that so many of these people are only 20 minutes from where I live.”

Bilchik, who has been honored by the American Cancer Society and the American College of Surgeons, added that there are disparities with just about every cancer.

“The outcomes in African Americans is worse for breast cancer, colon cancer, pancreas and stomach cancer to name but a few,” said Bilchik, who was recently listed as one of “Americas Top Surgeons” for 10 years in a row. “This is likely due to socioeconomic differences and lack of access to health care.”

Dr. Hurst said he designed the program with a primary focus of getting cancer information to the community.

“We do four workshops a year. Breast, colon and prostate are the three cancers we focus on,” said Hurst, the Director of Clinical Research for CORI. We use community venues to reach out to a broad cross section of Los Angeles and nearby cities. We want to make it easy for everyone to get the information.”

Hurst, F.A.C.S., specializes in breast, colorectal, melanoma, and sarcoma cancers as well as general surgery. A leader in his field, his research has focused on tumor immunology.

Hurst, who is also partnered with the United States Military Cancer Institute, emphasized that getting the word out about prevention, detection and intervention is crucial.

“The African American community should know not to be afraid,” said Hurst. “Fear becomes our greatest obstacle. Men don’t come because we think we’re invincible. As doctors, in our best state we provide reactionary medicine. We need to get ahead of cancer. We’ve got to get to the people before they get cancer.”

Hurst’s and Bilchik’s colleagues agree.

“There are about 250,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in this country each year,” said Dr. Thomas Johnson, an urologist since 1987. “About 20 percent are African American. Historically prostate cancer has been more aggressive in the African American community. Our charge is to try to get Black men to get screened. For some reason Black men are reluctant to get involved in the preventive aspects of their health. If nothing is bothering a guy, they don’t want to be bothered.”

Statistics show that minorities experience higher rates of illness and death from not only various cancers, but also health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, asthma, hepatitis B and obesity.

“Educating people about prevention is so important,” said Dr. Jenny Ru, an internist, hematologist and oncologist. “Prevention is the most important thing you can do. We have to make the public aware of that. When it’s detected early, it is treatable. You can survive. It’s about saving lives. Healthy lifestyles need to be emphasized. We can be our own doctors if we are aware of our bodies. Be aware of your diet and get some exercise. I also think the church has to be involved. The church is very important, especially in the African American community. It is great when they have health-related programs.”

Dr. Bilchik said CORI is committed to ending the health disparities in the minority population.

“Some of the ways we’re going to accomplish this is by engaging the community and teaching prevention and early detection,” said Bilchik, Ph.D., F.A.C.S. Chief of Medicine at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center and Professor of Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “It’s also about providing psychosocial support to patients and families dealing with cancer and providing educational material that can be easy to understand. We’re going to provide options for access to healthcare and generate funds for free preventative services such as mammography.”

“The Global Wellness Project (GWP) is pleased to partner with CORI to bring life saving cancer education to our community,” said Angela de Joseph, GWP executive director. “We are committed to bringing the highest quality of health education and free screenings into the African American and Latino communities. We have partnered with CORI, one of the foremost leaders in cancer research, to produce a series of dynamic cancer awareness workshops to faith-based organizations throughout the Southern California region.”

CORI, a non-profit, is committed to curing cancer through innovative research, early detection, novel treatments, and education through community outreach efforts.

Dr. Ronald Hurst is now available for interviews.

For more information, contact adj@globalwellnessproject.com or visit www.CORIgroup.org

Photo Caption: Dr. Ronald Hurst and Dr. Anton Bilchik, CORI Medical Directors

 Health Law Guide provides personalized health information in about five minutes

WASHINGTON, DC -Today, AARP launched a personalized online tool, the Health Law Guide, to help Americans understand benefits available currently and in the future under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Through a brief series of questions, offered in English or Spanish, AARP’s unique web-based tool provides an individually tailored report outlining coverage details based on an individual’s existing health care coverage or what other health coverage the individual may be eligible to get.

“The Affordable Care Act is complex but we can help,” said AARP Vice President Nicole Duritz. “AARP’s online Health Law Guide is a fast and simple tool where, in less than five minutes, an individual can quickly assess benefits available today. Also, through an interactive timeline they can learn about the impact the law will have on them and their families when it fully goes into effect in 2014.”

To get started, AARP Health Law Guide users are asked to answer six basic questions about themselves and/or their loved ones. Based on these responses, the tool provides users with a personalized report. Users can choose to be updated by email with news about the ACA, including when new provisions personally impacting them go into effect. The tool is free to the public, and is the first tool of its kind in both English and Spanish. As the health law becomes fully implemented, additional information will become available.

“Many benefits are currently available that individuals don’t know about. We want to and need to change that,” said Duritz said. “By spending just five minutes time using our new Health Law Guide, anyone can locate personalized information about what is currently available now, helping them make more informed health decisions for themselves and their families.”

The AARP Health Law Guide is available at www.aarp.org/healthlawguide and is also available in Spanish at www.aarp.org/guiadelaleydesalud.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-circulation magazine with over 35.1 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP’s millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, our bilingual multimedia platform for Hispanic members; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

(A Message from the Illinois Branch of The International Dyslexia Association)

Students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, deserve the same opportunities as their peers. Congress is about to act on legislation that will harm the chances of students with LD from graduating high school with a regular diploma. These bills will cut students with LD off from attending college and getting a job. This simply isn’t fair! 
 

Make your voice heard on this issue – watch the video and act now!

The form is available on their website, www.readibida.org for download or click here to be taken directly to the form. Topics submitted should be on the subject of dyslexia and related disorders that are either theoretical or applied (practical). Issues from educational, psychosocial and medical areas are welcome. The conference committee reviewers reserve the right to group some of the presentations for panel presentations. Deadline for submissions is March 25, 2012.

“Dyslexia: Challenge & Promise”, 2012 Annual Fall Conference, will be held October 11 & 12, 2012, at the Midwest Conference Center, Northlake, Illinois.

By Dr. Rani Whitfield

The current state of our economy has raised questions about whether today’s kids will be better or worse off than their parents. But, as a physician and father, I question whether they will be healthy enough to even live longer than their parents. Today, more physicians than ever are treating children for “adult” diseases like diabetes, hypertension and even heart disease. So, we should be equally concerned about the future of their health as we are about their wealth.    

This Black History Month and Heart Health Month, I decided to write an open letter to African American parents, urging you to start a family legacy of good health. The future of our children depends on it.

It’s no secret that heart disease, obesity and diabetes are taking a toll on our families and our communities at a rate higher than any other ethnic group in the country. And it is mostly preventable. As a father to a six-year-old, I know “Do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t work when kids are watching and mimicking your every move. Therefore, as parents, we have to take the first steps toward building a healthy, active lifestyle for ourselves with hopes that our kids will “do as we do.”

Contrary to what you might think, taking those steps doesn’t mean cutting out the things you enjoy – doing that can actually lead to weight gain. To be honest, I’m not giving up my favorite foods and beverages, and neither should you. It’s really about making better decisions. If you use two sticks of butter in your famous peach cobbler, use one or a healthier butter substitute. If you use salt pork in collard greens, try smoked turkey instead. Or, if you love soda, try a low- or no-calorie version or drink from a smaller cup.

Lastly, family time shouldn’t only be TV time. Get up and be active together. If your kids are jumping around with their Wii game, join them. If they’re playing tag in the backyard, be “it.” One thing I love to do with my daughter is dance because it’s good exercise and lets us be silly together. Leaving a legacy of good health doesn’t have to be serious and boring, so have fun with it.

This isn’t a letter of “shoulda, coulda, wouldas” because I understand food is a cultural and satisfying experience. Rather, it is a challenge for you to take inventory of your family’s health habits and make small adjustments that could bring about big changes. Studies show that just a small weight loss can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.

So this month and year round I’m taking a pledge, and I hope you will too: I pledge to leave my daughter with better health habits than the generation before her. I will leave her with less risk for heart disease, diabetes and obesity. I will be active for her and with her. And I will make decisions that set her on the path to good health for the rest of her life.

Good luck creating your family’s good health legacy for this generation and the next.

Dr. Rani G. Whitfield, known best as “Tha Hip Hop Doc,” is a board certified family physician with a private practice in Baton Rouge. He uses hip-hop music to educate teens and young adults on health issues and is a consultant for several organizations including The Coca-Cola Company. He can be reached at www.h2doc.com.

New facility to support 220,000 annual patient visits; 43% of their patients are African American or of African descent, and 92% of their patients are low-income with 60% living below the poverty line

Boston, MA (BlackNews.com) — Today, Whittier Street Health Center (Whittier) publicly unveils its new six-story, 79,000 square foot green building in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The new health and wellness facility provides expanded capacity for the Center to continue its mission of providing high quality and cost effective healthcare.

The $37 million building will house a variety of medical, social and wellness services to improve the health of a community facing significant disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. In addition to primary care, the new facility will provide a holistic array of services, all in one location including, dental and eye care, behavioral health and substance abuse services, a pharmacy, a physical therapy clinic, and community space. It will also feature the new Dana-Farber Mammography Suite and medical oncology consultation through a partnership with Dana-Farber Community Cancer Care to address high mortality rates from cancer in the community. The health center’s design incorporates many “green” features and is seeking certification as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver building. These features underscore Whittier’s commitment to creating a “healthy” building and environment with its new facility.

The new building is funded in part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding (ARRA). In 2010, Whittier received a $12 million grant through an ARRA, a funding opportunity supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services. “Massachusetts is a national leader in access to health care, thanks to organizations like the Whittier Street Health Center,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “Whittier’s new facility has created jobs and opportunities for hundreds of Massachusetts residents. I thank the Obama Administration and all of the committed partners for supporting this innovative health center.”

Roxbury, the primary service area of the new building, consistently ranks low for health outcomes and health behaviors among Boston’s 16 neighborhoods. According to the Boston Public Health Commission’s 2011 Health of Boston Report, among Boston’s 16 neighborhoods, Roxbury has the highest infant mortality rate, the highest rate of hospitalizations due to heart disease and the second highest diabetes hospitalization rate.

“Whittier Street Health Center is a model for how care is best delivered in an urban environment and no one is more dedicated to Boston’s underserved than Whittier Street Health Center’s CEO, Frederica Williams,” said Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston. “It is because of her vision and determination that the new, larger space, will help even more of our city’s residents receive high quality healthcare.”

“The new building allows us to accomplish so much more related to improving the health of our community,” said Frederica Williams, President and CEO of WSHC. “In addition to reaching more patients and increasing our breadth of services, our new building will allow us to address increasing healthcare costs by offering innovative programs that reduce complications from chronic diseases.”

In addition, the new facility will create 50 new full time healthcare jobs, over 30 of which have already been filled. Constructing the building also supported 450 construction jobs.

The new Whittier Street Health Center will increase its capacity from the 70,000 patient visits conducted in the old building in 2011 to a new capacity of 220,000 patient visits. Currently, Whittier’s patients represent 20 different countries with 17 languages spoken by staff at the health center.

Photo Caption: Whittier Street Health Center Opens $35 million 79,000 sq. ft. State-of-the-Art Health Center in Boston. Partially funded by President Obama’s stimulus funding, the new facility is being hailed as a future model of a “one-stop” healthcare delivery system for traditionally underserved urban residents.

Programs help fill nutritional gap for children

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is encouraging school administrators to make sure students take advantage of free, nutritious meals and snacks available this summer at more than 1,700 summer food service program sites statewide. Applications to be a sponsor can be submitted to ISBE beginning March 1.

“Summer food programs fill an important role for both parents and children,” said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. “As educators, we know that nutrition is a critical prerequisite to learning. However, learning does not stop when the school year ends, and neither does the need for a nutritious meal.”

Summer food programs work by providing free meals and snacks to low-income children through age 18 when school is not in session. People ages 18 and older who are enrolled in school programs for persons with disabilities may also participate. Summer food programs typically operate June through August, but can start as early as May and can go into September.

During the summer of 2010, more than 105,000 low-income Illinois children ate free meals through summer food programs. Those children represent 14.7 percent of the roughly 721,000 children who ate free or reduced-priced meals during the 2009-2010 school year. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that more than 18 million children received free or reduced-price school meals during the 2010 school year, but only 2.8 million children received summer meals.

ISBE administers two federally funded summer food programs – the USDA’s ‘Summer Food Service Program for Children’ and the federal National School Lunch Program’s ‘Seamless Summer Option.’ Both programs are designed to bridge the summer nutrition gap by offering free nutritious breakfasts, lunches or snacks to children age 18 and younger.

Most summer food program sites are open to all children in the community. These “open sites” are also eligible for federal funds if the site is located in an area in which at least 50 percent of the children are from households that would be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. All children 18 years of age or younger who come to an approved open site may receive meals.

Local governments, school districts and non-profits can sponsor summer food sites, which may include schools, parks, recreation centers, housing projects, migrant centers, churches, summer camps and others. Organizations and government entities may apply to ISBE to be a summer food program sponsor beginning March 1 through June 15, 2012.  Organizations may also become a site with an existing sponsor; to learn more, visit the ISBE website at: http://www.isbe.net/nutrition/htmls/summer.htm

To locate an open site summer food program in Chicago, contact the Illinois Hunger Coalition’s Hunger Hotline at (800) 359-2163 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The hotline is available in both English and Spanish. For other areas of the state, an interactive map of the state’s summer food program sites can be found online at http://webprod1.isbe.net/NutSvc/.