ONONDAGA CITIZENS LEAGUE NEWS
April 2008
How Inequality Makes Us Sick: The Growing Disparities in Health and Health Care
Evidence shows that while life expectancy and overall health have improved in recent years for most Americans, thanks in part to a focus on preventive medicine and advances in technology, not all Americans are benefiting equally. Low- and middle-income people and those in minority racial and ethnic groups experience many health problems at higher rates than the population as a whole. OCL's soon-to-be-released report on inequalities in health and health care based on race and socio-economic status echoes findings of a number of national studies, including a recent government study on the widening gap in life expectancy, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report on health differences, and the PBS documentary, Unnatural Causes. OCL Study Committee members appeared on WCNY's March 21st “Central Issues” to discuss the realities of health disparities in Onondaga County. Dan Cummings followed up the Central Issues interview with a Channel 9 news feature on the study and the Amaus Clinic, a new health service attempting to fill the health care gap faced by the uninsured. See the video clip on 9wsyr.com.
OCL Members are invited to attend the upcoming health-care related Thursday Morning Roundtable sessions at Drumlins, from 8:15 – 9:15 AM:
- April 3—From the Physician Perspective: Increasing Access to Health Care
Thomas Bersani, M.D., President, Onondaga County Medical Society - April 17—Church, Community, and University Partnering to Address Social Vulnerability through Access to Health Care and Beyond
Lynn-Beth Satterly, M.D., M.S., founder, Amaus Health Services
Fr. Neal Quartier, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - April 24—Not Just Skin Deep: A Look at Disparities in Health Care Sharon Brangman, M.D.
Don’t forget to tune into a new PBS series, Unnatural Causes, broadcast on Thursdays @ 10 P.M., March 27, April 3, 10, 17 on WCNY. OCL has also purchased a set of the Unnatural Causes DVD’s, which will be used to begin a series of community conversations on the topic. Watch for more information in the next newsletter.
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