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1/I should be celebrating, but I’m not.
Today, a health advocate and major celebrity, @ellenpompeo released part 2 of video w/4 amazing Black women in medicine talking about health equity, justice, and inclusion. See video here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CC-9tdxBu2Q/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Today, a health advocate and major celebrity, @ellenpompeo released part 2 of video w/4 amazing Black women in medicine talking about health equity, justice, and inclusion. See video here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CC-9tdxBu2Q/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
2/Only, today I also found out that one of my favorite patients passed away. And is dead in part because of health inequity, injustice, and exclusion. @DrAyanaJordan @DrJessIsomMDMPH @ADocNamedDani @drjessigold @uche_blackstock @DrOniBee @tunmisefawole
3a/First strike, they were a patient in a community clinic in an underserved area, with doctors rotating in and out barely staying one year. These were patients that were deemed to have SMI (serious mental illness) by the medical establishment.
3b/Serious mental illness basically equates to seriously time consuming and not worth it for the medical establishment. @NAMIAdvocacy @NAMICommunicate
This patient had SMI.
This patient had SMI.
4a/ 2nd strike, so few of the doctors were Black, like these patients. Not to say you have to be Black to care, but seeing the suffering of people who look like you at the hands of an unjust system motivates you to work 110% for Black patients.
4b/ This patient was Black like me.
2% of doctors are Black and female, like me.
2% of doctors are Black and female, like me.
5a/ 3rd strike, this patient was started on a medication, abilify, that can have a paradoxical effect of making you more impulsive, instead of calming you down. The doctor before me put so many patients on this drug- he was getting free stuff from the company
5b/ This patient was switched from a medication that was working, to abilify and watched them unravel .
Again, he was getting free stuff from the pharma company.
He was not Black. @FrankNewsUS
Again, he was getting free stuff from the pharma company.
He was not Black. @FrankNewsUS
6a/ 4th strike, as a result of the impulsivity, this patient cycled in and out of the ER, only to be sent back home after a few hours because there are so few hospital beds to admit people for longer term treatment.
6b/ ER visits don't offer chance to observe and stabilize patients before discharging them back to the community.
Think of all the resources: ambulance to ER, ER visit, ambulance back home, staff waking up in middle of night to respond to police calls.
Think of all the resources: ambulance to ER, ER visit, ambulance back home, staff waking up in middle of night to respond to police calls.
6c/
Like hospital systems that serve predominantly Black communities, the system made money off of this patient but couldn’t provide good care in exchange. @DrRobDavidson @PoojaLakshmin @pringlmillermd @RELewiss @ChrisMurphyCT
Like hospital systems that serve predominantly Black communities, the system made money off of this patient but couldn’t provide good care in exchange. @DrRobDavidson @PoojaLakshmin @pringlmillermd @RELewiss @ChrisMurphyCT
7a/ 5th strike, this patient had public insurance that covered services for a home aide to help with cleaning, cooking, and dressing. The aides cycled in and out, many of them did not show up when they were paid to do so.
7b/ And this company, like so many companies that provide nursing home or home care was more than likely committing medicare fraud. Fraud that the Trump administration rarely punishes. @DrRobDavidson
7c/ From the bullshit star rating system that is underreported with data, to reliance on volunteers for state ombudsmen, to understaffed workers for adult protective services.
This patient relied on a company for care that prioritized profit over that care.
This patient relied on a company for care that prioritized profit over that care.
8/ Despite all this, with TLC and attention from an amazing team, this patient began to thrive. Showed up every week, smiling. And is now gone.
9/ This system is fucked. We have to start caring enough to say and do something and not just wait until the system fucks us or our families over. We have to start caring about Black people, because your people might be next.
Please, the time is now.
It is time to say something.
It is time to do something.
Anything. @choo_ek @EllenPompeo @uche_blackstock @drjessigold @DrRobDavidson @TIMESUPNOW
It is time to say something.
It is time to do something.
Anything. @choo_ek @EllenPompeo @uche_blackstock @drjessigold @DrRobDavidson @TIMESUPNOW
Please retweet or share, or just observe a moment in honor of my patient and all the other patients we have all lost this year.
