I can’t breathe! This has become an all too familiar cry for many African Americans who everyday struggle to breathe in a society suffocated by systemic racism and entrenched inequities. They struggle to live in a society that has intentionally erected barrier after barrier intended to weaken their bodies and hasten their deaths. What we have is the perfect storm for a disaster—a serious health crisis, an inequitable method of health delivery, millions of uninsured and under-insured people, an uneven and politically charged approach to dealing with the pandemic, police brutality, and other ...

The Problem While COVID-19 is a novel virus, its devastating impact on public health has shone a spotlight on longstanding failures of our healthcare and social services systems. Thus far in the United States, the virus has claimed over 100,000 lives, dramatically reduced

Dear Brother & Sister X, The feeling of grief, fear and frustration felt by our fellow Black and Brown siblings in America after the death of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breona Taylor is impossible to dismiss, especially when it has been met with the president’s public combativeness towards protesters and promotion of state violence. History has shown us time and time again that the outcome of putting all of our hopes into large scale structural change leaves communities of color waiting for government institutions to act on our behalf; and while we wait, we ...

I heard the commotion from my “captain’s chair,” the seat for the lead clinician at our respiratory clinic. The medical assistants, gloved and masked, hurriedly pushed the wheelchair past my door and into the “emergency” exam room, and I glimpsed a tiny hunched figure in the chair, all dressed in black, with her face grayish brown. “Oxygen saturation 84, we’re calling EMS,” the medical assistant called out, as a nurse walked swiftly into the room to apply oxygen. A clinician jogged over to the personal protective equipment (PPE) room to don her full armor before heading to the patient’s ...

Human trafficking is a global pandemic and gross violation of human rights. Healthcare providers are often the first group of professionals to interact with victims of human trafficking with over 88% of victims ...

If there is any silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we now have the opportunity to address ongoing societal failures that have been thrown into stark relief by this crisis. Perhaps chief among them is our complacency toward deeply entrenched racial and socioeconomic health disparities, which have become even more deadly in the face of COVID-19. There is ample evidence in states across the country, including Michigan, Louisiana, and North Carolina, that disproportionately high rates of chronic diseases like hypertension, asthma, and diabetes among people of ...

COVID-19 has affected people worldwide and sickened millions. It is no coincidence that people are looking for unconventional ways to stay or become healthy. As Family Medicine physicians who also practice integrative medicine, we are accustomed to being asked questions about wellness. Lately, the most common questions are: How can I deal with the stress of staying home/ possible illness/ concern for family and friends/ childcare? How do I improve my immune system and stay healthy? How can I get well faster if I do get COVID-19? ...

It’s #SexEdForAll month, yet most people still believe sex education is just about sex. But it’s so much more than that. As a young woman from rural Appalachia, I’m well aware that until people learn what sex education truly is, it won’t be widely accepted in our society. That’s why I created the Sexuality ...

Today, I am saving lives slowly. This is less satisfying than the days I am in full personal protective equipment (PPE) for hours in our new urgent care respiratory isolation unit. The unit was converted over the course of a weekend in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic from what used to be our billing department, now with new linoleum and exam beds where carpet and desks used to be. In the isolation unit, it is easy to feel I am doing something vital, instead of this strange new disconnect of seeing my patients on the 3x5 inch screen of my cellphone, struggling to connect both ...