Agenda - 05-18-2004-7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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10 Mr. Faribault provided an historical perspective. "L: 1975, I was employed as a physician's assistant by the late Robert J Murphy. He was a, family practitioner along with his partner; Dr. Black. He was the founder, Dr. Murphy, of the Orange Fanuly Medical Center in Hillsborough, Our patient poprdation reflected the connnuntty at Inge, However, I noticed for the most par°t that Afi•ican- Anrer°icans were sicker° upon seeking car°e tTrar: tJre majority race. Most sought episodic cm°e, for drew conditions. In many cases, tTre medicines prescribed, the patients could not afford. „ Mr. Faribault felt that over time, with increased education and job opportunities, access had improved somewhat, but access to healtlrcaze may remain emergent, episodic, and home remedy-based for far too many African-Americans. He saw a greater role for church and civic groups in being able to disseminate information, offer training, and counsel the community on health life styles. But he finished by posing a serious question for the participants to think about: "Hillsborough was, founded about 17.54, somewhere in that area. For• the past one and one half yem•s, we now have apar°t-time Black physician.. Wlry did it take, fi°om 17.54 until 1001 to have a Black physician? " Orange County was among ten North Cazolina counties to be over-sampled by the Center for Disease Control in their Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey process conducted on a national level. Dr. Summers presented highlights from a PowerPoint presentation available on the Orange County Health web site (www.co.oran eg ne.us.) Some of the findings that she stressed were: • Minorities in Orange County are less often covered by health insurance • The mortality rate for minorities with cancer is higher in Orange County • Orange County has a low prevalence of diabetes compared to the state • Smoking has more to do with the education or income gap in Orange County than race • More minorities in Orange County reported trying to lose weight to remedy the obesity problem than Whites Dr. Summers cited the actions her department is taking to further explore and address the CDC findings.. These included completion of the community health assessment process underway in cooperation with the Orange County Healthy Carolinians project, improving efforts to recruit and retain African-Americans professionals to the public health practice, and to develop a provider network in the community that could address those persons who don't have insurance, "The challenge 1 would issue to every healthcare provider in this connnunit7r is to jour us in that effort, especially our° colleagzres at the Univer°sity of North Car°olirra in their° physicians and associates group. Without the largest group of physicians in the count7r helping rrs with that process, we will not go far. I think that's the challenge that we have to er:gage with orn conrrrruniry par°brers to make healthcare what it needs to he for all of orn• African-Americm: citizens. "