Overcoming Historical Healthcare Hindrance for African Americans

Kyle Jones, Guest Contributor

This is a special month in America. February has been designated as the time we place special emphasis on the contributions of Black Americans. In the field of healthcare, there have been amazing moments of triumph organized and accomplished by Black Americans. While I cannot cover them all, the work of surgeon Charles R. Drew, who developed improved techniques for blood transfusion and storage, stands out. The feats of Ben Carson, who performed groundbreaking surgeries, is also a historical highlight. And I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the great accomplishments of Arkansas’ own (Minnie) Joycelyn Elders, whose difficult beginnings and distinguished service to our nation serve as an inspiration to us all.

While these great triumphs are of worthy of celebration, there is a tragic portion of this history that we must be cognizant of to understand current challenges and healthcare service disparities. The cervical cells of Henrietta Lacks have provided one of the greatest medical contributions to our fight against cervical and other cancers. But those cells were harvested without her knowledge or consent. The “Father of Gynecology” James Marion Sims made great advances in the field. But he performed many procedures and experiments on enslaved women, often without anesthesia.

In totality, these are all contributions to the advancement of medical care. This is a triumph. But portions of this history (see Tuskegee Experiment) perpetuate negative perceptions among Black Americans and other minorities — a tragedy. This history impacts the rate at which minorities seek medical treatment of any form. When it comes to end-of-life and palliative care, these perceptions are costing many Black Americans and other minority groups the opportunity to “die well.” Faced with this challenge, Arkansas Hospice is currently engaged in minority outreach efforts to change this trend. Through education, research, and other on-going opportunities, we hope to increase access for all underserved populations in our service area. We look forward to sharing more information via our website as we engage our community to triumph over the current tragedy we face. As opportunities are presented, we hope that you will join us in this effort!