Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 12-10-19

Feature
National Organization Rebrands To Attack Health Disparities In The Black Community
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
A national organization founded in the 1980s to unite citizens and community leaders in the fight against AIDS/HIV is rebranding itself to address other diseases attacking African-Americans – and involving local communities in the process.
At its Black Health town hall meeting last week in Tampa, chief ex- ecutive director, C. Virginia Fields outlined the new direction of the Na- tional Black Leadership Commission on Health, Inc., (NBLCH) to improve the health outcomes for African- Americans in 8 areas.
The event, hosted by Guided Path Foundation, convened health leaders from both the public and private sec- tors throughout Hillsborough County.
In addition to AIDS/HIV, the Commission also will focus on mental health, diabetes, cardiovascular dis- ease, breast and prostate cancer, hep- atitis C, and sickle cell disease.
In each of those areas, diagnosis and prevention rates for Black people is higher, compared to whites and Hispanic, Fields said.
The Commission’s goal is to achieve health equity for the Black
ous regions.
When armed with more specific
information, it’s easier for NBLCH to advocate on behalf of its partners like Guided Path and help them obtain re- sources, Fields said.
“We want to be a voice,” she said.
The Commission’s rebranding ap- pears to be timely for Hillsborough County. Of the county’s 1.4 million residents, Blacks make up just 18 per- cent of the population, but post higher diagnosis rates compared to other races, said Ayesha Johnson, a statistician with the Hillsborough County Department of Health.
A deeper look at the numbers shows that cancer and behavioral health diagnosis rates are higher among whites, but that’s because Blacks often access care at a later rate, Johnson said.
Solutions to eliminating health disparities includes a strong outreach program that encompasses commu- nity meetings, classes, and connecting with the community at places of work, she said.
And with state health departments receiving a bigger chunk of money to do outreach, the commission advocat- ing on behalf of community-based or- ganizations is more important than
ever, Fields said.
“We’re working with Guided Path
to build these relationships for ongo- ing advocacy,” she said. “Because re- sources are important.”
To be successful, any outreach campaign must be tailored specifi- cally to its audiences, said Andrew Maldonado, minority AIDS coordi- nator with the Hillsborough County Department of Health.
“If you don’t deliver the message in different forms, we’re not going to get the response we’re looking for,” he said.
C. VIRGINIA FIELDS ...Executive Director, National Black Leadership Commission
On Health, Inc.
community, not only through health and wellness education and commu- nity mobilization, but also via advo- cacy, policy, and action, she said.
Doing so requires equipping part- ners with the needed information and resources. Fields said she’s meeting that goal by traveling all over the country hosting town hall meetings to talk with community and government leaders and get a better understand- ing of the health issues in those vari-
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