57
Lovell's Food For Thought - Again I Ask The Question, Isn't It Time We Really Do Something To Do Something
Passed Time To Really Do Something
In the 60 plus years I have been involved with equity issues, I have come to see very little true progress in significantly reducing health inequities. I have seen a significant increase in the number of seminars, workshops, programs, centers and/or institutes. Even with number of persons of color in leadership positions has increased. But the reductions in with the number of deaths the answer remains NO. The COVID-19 Pandemic has made this apparently clear, that what we are doing is not working. The question is what are we going to do about it other than hold more meetings and give speeches on how we increase our efforts to address this as a national priority?
Lovell’s Food For Thought: The Failure to Truly Address Health Inequities in America
"If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you always gotten."
I often use a quote by Mom’s Mabely. It states the following: "If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you always gotten." The science of the Twentieth and now the 21st Century, as it pertains to addressing the health of all Americans, will continue to not work if we continue to highlight discoveries without focusing on the delivery and involving the community, especially communities of color at every stage of the process. If we continue to use the same criteria as we did in this century we will be reading similar editorials from the AMA in the next decade. The signs have been there for more than three decades now, telling us that what we are doing is not working. The question now is: What are we going to do about it? Are we going to continue along the same path? Or, are we going to try something different, realizing that health along with not solve problem of health disparities? This opinion piece and the recent article in the American Journal of Public Health says we have yet to realize this truth (https://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/109/S1). Having been at this for almost four decades, will I see a similar special edition in by five decade?
Lovell’s Food for Thought – Implicit Bias, Silent Racism and its Impact on Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, an area in need of research
The compound impact of Implicit Bias, Silent Racism and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome on the overall health of this nation. Like never removing the rotten apples at the bottom of the barrel and wondering why new ones are spoiled. Think about implicit bias and/or systemic/institutional racism as those apples at the bottom of the barrel.
Lovell's Food For Thought - Cultural Differences Need To Be Factored Into Scientific Health Discovery
Racial & Cultural Differences Matter
The more things change the more they remain the same. Who you are and the experiences you have determine the solutions you develop to address the problems you face." Give the lack of researchers of color, you should be able to see what the problem is. Although the numbers have increased, the percentage have remained the same. Therefore you have insight to both the problem and the solution to the problem. Unfortunately, we have continued to fail at solving this problem and therefore we continue to fail in making any significant reduction in health inequities.
Lovell’s Food For Thought – The Spirituality of the Unity Principles & Addressing Health Inequities
A Second Appeal to Connect the Dots
If we are going to successfully address health inequities, we are going to need to truly climb out of our silos and connect to one another across a broad array. Although this easier said than done, we need to realize that “No one center or one institution or profession will solve the problems we face.” And any attempt to address this issue as a single problem of just one disease, without taking into account other factors, you have already failed to address the problem at the beginning and the outcome will be like placing a Band Aid on a heart attack, it may make you feel good, but what about the impact on society?
Lovell's Food For Thought - The Lost of Elders & Their Oral History
The need to create an oral history of leaders in the health disparities movement
The lost of our elders and their oral history and its impact on addressing health inequities. With the lost of two dear friends (Frank Talamantes & Gil Friedell); friends and colleagues on the battlefield in addressing health inequities, the question comes to mind, will we remember the knowledge they gained or will it be lost as we remain in our silos and continue to reinvent the wheel. Therefore, such will dooms us to continue to repeat the errors of the past and addressing inequities will remain an elusive target.
Lovell's Food For Thought - Egos and Wanting Credit As Threats To Addressing Health Inequities
This Goes Beyond Race & Racism
To paraphrase what Benjamin Franklin once said: If we do not all hang together, we will all hang separately. The question that remains is: how do we get people and/or organizations out of their silos, especially in terms of health equity? We sure are not effectively addressing health inequities by remaining in our silos, especially scientific and advocacy silos.
LOVELL’S FOOD FOR THOUGHT – Do We Really Want To Successfully Address Health Inequities?
Are we really addressing the health disparities/inequities gap in a serious and meaningful way?
Answer this question, given the number of centers focused on health disparities/inequities and the emphasis by major foundations on this topic, why are we not seeing a major reduction in the health disparities/inequities gap? Are we continuing to do just a modification of what we have always done, hoping that we are doing the right thing, when in reality we continue to get what we have always gotten, health disparities/inequities.
Lovell's Food For Thought - Racism & Health Inequities
Do We Really Want to Address Either? My Perception is NO
Thirty years ago I wrote my first NIH on addressing breast cancer in African American Women. In that grant I included a section on the impact of racism on outcomes. The grant was not score. In fact, I was told that it really was not reviewed. Ten years later I wrote an article for "The Scientist" entitled "Racism Has An Impact On Research And Health Care Policy." Around the same time, serving on the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Integration Panel, I asked this question - how many Black women needed to die before we really did anything to really address inequities. Guess who not involved back to serve? Today, Racism is now a topic as it relates to health. Let me just say, it has been a topic for years. The question I continue to ask is whether anyone(s) in significant leadership position be held accountable. Only then will we truly see progress.
Lovell's Food For Thought - Racism & Health Inequities
Do We Really Want to Address Either? My Perception is NO
Thirty years ago I wrote my first NIH grant on addressing breast cancer in African American Women. In that grant I included a section on the impact of racism on outcomes. The grant was not scored. In fact, I was told that it really was not reviewed. The basic statement was that everyone knew that Black women delayed in seeking care. Ten years later I wrote an article for "The Scientist" entitled "Racism Has An Impact On Research And Health Care Policy." Around the same time, serving on the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Integration Panel, I asked this question - how many Black women needed to die before we really do something about address this issue. Guess which member has never been invited back to serve? Today, Racism is now a topic, as it relates to health. However, let me just say that this is not new. it has been a topic for years. It is just coming up with a new set of people. So, the question I have continued ask is when will it not just be a topic of discussion and someone be held accountable for all these deaths. Only then will we truly see progress and not a topic of an article, a presentation or a panel discussion.
Lovell's Food For Thought - Life is What You Make It
The Life of Donald J. Coffey
For a dishwater with dyslexia to being one the top science in Cancer Research, Don Coffey never forgot where he came from. This was one of his greatest achievements in terms of how he related to people of all ethnic and economic backgrounds.
Lovell’s Food for Thought– Reinventing the Wheel As a Threat to Progress
The negative impact of creating more silos, more health inequities
As humans, we are always striving to receive credit for creating and/or doing something new. What I have learned, is that, for most things, they are not new, we are just improving on a concept. But when does improving and/or reinventing something become detrimental to the process? That is the question I am asking, especially in terms of health inequities, where the funds to address this issue is not limitless, but the knowledge brought together is.
Lovell's Food For Thought - One's Legacy
Where are they now?
It is often said that the spirit of an individual lives as long as they live in the memories of those they have impacted. Howard Bern, is one whose spirit burns brightly in my soul. For he often said, "one's legacy to science is not the work that you do, but the people you leave behind." This is a phrase you have heard me say and written about numerous times, and will continue to hear me say and include in my writing so long as I am on this earth. It is almost my hope that this saying will be embedded in the souls of ones I have impacted so long as there is work to be done.
Lovell's Food For Thought - Suggestions & Life Expectancy
Time is precious. And there is a time when one has to decided about what needs to be done by ones-self or done by others. The biggest issue to this is the management of ones "EGO'. It is about not Edging God Out (EGO).
Lovell's Food For Thought - Is Addressing Health Inequities A Bridge Too Far
Is Addressing Health Inequities in a Holitic Mannner "A Bridge Too Far?"
A question I am asking this year is whether or not addressing health disparities/inequities is "A Bridge Too Far." What I mean is whether or not there is a willing to truly address this issue outside of those of us truly on the battle field. Ate we still in the age of the "Health Disparities Pimps." The other question is how do we make people feel that it is worth their time and/or investment to solve the issue. As one of this year's co-chairs of the 15th Annual Disparities in Health in America: Working Toward Social Justice Workshop said,, "I attended as a student, and it literally changed my life and impacted my career goals and aspirations deeply." The Disparities in America: Working Toward Social Justice Workshop has had such an impact on individuals. But again, I ask is such an effort “A Bridge Too Far.”