Educating vulnerable patient populations
about health issues and
increasing the number
of providers in underserved communities are
steps toward closing
the healthcare disparities gap. Although much
of the focus today is on healthcare
reform, eliminating disparities must
be part of the solution.
That’s because “people from
underrepresented communities, like
the Hispanic community, are the
backbone of our economy,” says Dr.
Elena Rios, president and CEO of
the National Hispanic Medical Association. “If they’re not healthy, our
economy won’t be healthy.”
A few studies have
shown an increase in
healthcare within some
patient populations, but
the gap between the
haves and have-nots still
exists. The 2008 National Healthcare Disparities
Report, published by the
U. S. Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, found that Black women
are now as likely as white women to
seek preventive health screenings.
Still, reports the agency, Blacks
are nearly twice as likely as whites to
have a limb amputated because of
diabetes. Likewise, Black women and
Latinas are twice as likely as white
women not to receive prenatal
care in the first trimester of their
Christopher Davis
pregnancy—and these rates have
remained unchanged since 2005. The
problem: a lack of access to quality
healthcare. But it’s not just a racial/
ethnic issue. According to a study
conducted by Harris Interactive, 75
percent of lesbians say they have
delayed seeking medical treatment
because of a lack of insurance.
“When we look at our [LGBT]
community, we see higher rates of
cancer and obesity,” says Rebecca
Fox, executive director of the National Coalition for LGBT Health.
Cultural
Competency,
Communication
“Research shows that Black and
Latino doctors are far more
WALMART: STRIVING FOR HEALTHIER
ASSOCIATES, CUSTOMERS, COMMUNITIES
Walmart, the nation’s largest
retailer, is launching several
initiatives to help its associates
and customers in the communities it serves live healthier lives.
Associates: Nearly 1. 2
million associates and dependents are covered by Walmart’s
healthcare plans, and this year,
Walmart added more wellness
options to its coverage. They
include free parent counseling
offered by professional nurses on
everything from pre-conception
to early childhood development.
Customers: Since
launching its popular $4 generic
prescription program in 2006,
Walmart has saved customers and the healthcare system
more than $2 billion. Building
on that success, Walmart
recently announced its newest
program to further drive costs
out of healthcare: a 90-day
supply of approximately 300
generic prescriptions, each
for $10, via free mail delivery.
In addition, Walmart pharmacies recently began selling an
albuterol rescue inhaler for
asthma sufferers starting at $9.
Similar inhalers sell for as much
as $60 at other pharmacies.
Walmart is also broadening
access to affordable healthcare
through in-store clinics in 33
locations nationwide. This
initiative is a way to alleviate
pressure on the healthcare
system, since many of their
patients might otherwise have
used an emergency room or
forgone treatment entirely.
Communities: Walmart
and the Walmart Foundation
fund community-based organizations that increase access to
healthcare and help reduce disparities. In 2008, the Walmart
Foundation awarded the
second portion of a $1-million
grant to the Meharry Medical
College Center for Women’s
Health Research, the nation’s
only center dedicated to the
study of health disparities
among women of color.
Walmart also contributed
$500,000 to the Delta Regional
Authority (DRA)’s Healthy
Delta Initiative, a program designed to improve the economy
of the region by improving the
health of the community. The
initiative offers free diabetes
screenings through community health fairs in the eight
states served by the DRA, and
includes a TV/radio diabetes-awareness campaign tailored
for underserved communities
that are disproportionately
impacted by the disease.
