Catalyst Health and Equity Solutions

LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING

I grew up singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The song was written in 1900 by the brothers Johnson (not those of “Strawberry Letter 23” fame), James Weldon and John Rosamond Johnson.  In 1919, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) proclaimed it to be the Black National Anthem.  I had memorized…

HEALTH EQUITY AND HEALTH POLICY

“Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.” Access to health care is one of the many factors that affect health equity. In turn, there are many factors that affect access to health care including our Nation’s health policies. Geography Health equity…

DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR, POVERTY, AND HEALTH EQUITY

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is well known for his legacy of fighting for civil rights. But what is often forgotten was his broader social justice mission. He said, “It is time to move from an era of civil rights to one of human rights.” On December 4, 1967, Dr. King announced the Southern…

ARITIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND HEALTH EQUITY

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere. It answers the customer service phone lines of companies. It’s the online chatbot anxiously awaiting to assist you. It’s behind the algorithm in your browser searches that determines the results you see. It can do your search for reference material to write a paper. It can summarize a report or…

VILLAGE FOR A SEASON

The older I get the more I understand proverbs and other sayings.  Experience continues to provide more depth and understanding. Life leads to new revelations about old expressions. Living results in seasonal changes beyond spring, summer, fall, and winter. Due to loss, often from death, we have our village for only a season. Maya Angelou.…

ASK QUESTIONS

Many people leave their doctor’s appointments and other health care visits with unanswered questions. And when they arrive home, they promptly ask a friend, family member, or Dr. Google.  Unfortunately, none of these are the best options. There are many reasons we may not ask questions at the visit. We may be embarrassed to admit…

Health Equity

Health Literacy and Human Rights The Conference on Health Literacy and Human Rights begins in Rome tomorrow on December 5, 2024. The report Health literacy is a human rights concern (Sorensen K, 2024) is one of the reference materials.  The author defines health literacy as more than the ability to read and comprehend health information;…

Open Enrollment

It’s open enrollment time! This is the time of year when individuals buy, renew, or change their health insurance. If you don’t have insurance through your employer, Medicare or Medicaid, you can purchase health insurance from the Marketplace. The federal government enacted the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obama care, to increase access to…

A Nod to “NAZ” and All Sickle Cell Warriors

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, designated by Congress to help focus attention on the need for research and treatment of sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is categorized as an orphan disease in that it affects less than 200,000 persons.   About 100,000 persons in the U.S. are affected of which 90%…

Please Don’t Retire!

More and more each year, I worry that my Primary Care Provider (PCP) will retire.  There is a shortage of them as well as other specialists for many reasons including that pay has not kept of with the cost of living, heavy workload and burnout leading to early retirement or transition away from patient care,…