October 3, 2007
African Americans are not
getting the same quality
treatment and the National
Association of Health
Services Executives is
working to make a change.
Meeting in Dallas for their
22nd annual education con-
ference, the organization of
healthcare managers has
several issues they will be
addressing, including
bringing more African
Americans into the industry,
eliminating healthcare dis-
parities internationally and
encouraging more African
Americans to be transplant
donors.
“Healthcare officials have
a responsibility to create
equity in healthcare,” said
Chris Mosley, NAHSE
president and CEO of
Chesapeake Regional
Medical Center in Virginia.
“African Americans are not
getting the same type of
treatment.”
According to Mr. Mosley,
who will turn over
the presidency to
Rodney Miller of
Schneider Regional
Medical Center in St.
Thomas, Virgin
Islands during the
Dallas conference,
African Americans
must be afforded an
opportunity to
receive medication over
amputations.
Citing spiritual, mental
and psychological aspects to
healthcare, Mr. Mosley said
it is important for patients
and healthcare professionals
to learn about some of the
issues and work on impro-
ving health and healthcare.
“I would love to see the
day that African Americans
realize that without their
health they have nothing,”
said Dr. Ian Smith, who will
be visiting Dallas next week
to talk about the 50 million
pound challenge--an effort
that encourages African
Americans to lose weight.
“There’s a sense of compla-
cency. I want African
Americans to get
more involved and
think about it (health)
now. I want us to be
tired of being tired.”
NAHSE will be
talking about obesity
as well, said Mr.
Mosley.
“We’re coming to
Dallas to talk about
the very things that Dr. (Ian)
Smith is talking about,” he
said. “We’re dealing with
societal issues. Some of the
things we ate weren’t the
best.
“I think our health system
should do a better job of
looking holistically at health
issues.”
Pointing out that more
African Americans are
needed because they
represent roughly 2 percent
of the management ranks at
hospitals, Mr. Mosley said
the NAHSE is reaching out
to students, encouraging
them to consider the sciences
and begin working toward a
career as a healthcare
executive.
“We need more
African Americans
in position of leader-
ship,” he said.
“There are too few
of us in the profes-
sion.”
Insurance is an
issue for many
African Americans
both men agreed.
“Many Americans are
under or uninsured,” said Mr.
Mosley, adding that many
don’t have a regular doctor to
attend to their health issues.
“The emergency rooms are
used as primary care facili-
ties.”
Instead of regularly
visiting doctors, many
citizens don’t receive any
form of treatment unless they
feel ill enough to go to an
emergency room, he pointed
out.
And many of their
illnesses, said Dr. Smith, can
be attributed to obesity.
“About 300,000 deaths
per year are related to
obesity,” he said. “If you
look at particular illnesses,
African Americans
appear to be on the
high end. If we could
get African
Americans to lost 50
million pounds, by
making lifestyle
choices, we’ll all see
that small changes
make a dramatic dif-
ference.”
According to Mr. Mosley,
increasing the number of
African American health
service executives will go a
long way toward dealing
with the high number of
African Americans who have
diabetes, high blood pressure
and heart disease.
“Heart disease is the silent
killer as it relates to African
Americans,” he added.
African Americans also
have to be concerned about
stress, said Dr. Smith.
“Recent studies confirm
physiological implications
from stress,” said Dr. Smith.
“It’s stressful being African
American as we deal with
discrimination and
isolation.”
Many people, he said, are
stress eaters, grabbing food
at the sign of a stressful
situation. The best-selling
author and TV talk show
host encourages African
Americans to log on to
www.50millionpounds.com
and begin developing a new
lifestyle.
On Thursday and Friday
at the NAHSE conference
bone marrow testing and
education will be taking
place as the members
encourage more African
Americans to become
donors.
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