African-American Women Face Challenges, Find Support in Quitting Smoking

By Talib I. Karim, Health Writer*

Nearly 20% of African American women smoke cigarettes, some fear gaining weight if they quit. Health professionals suggest that women can shed smoking and pounds, together. (Photo/courtesy.colourbox.com)

 Sister Mary, as we’ll call her, is sharp-dressing, nice looking, and holds an MBA degree along with a six-figure position with the federal government.

An usher board member with a prominent church, Sister Mary recently added a new title, “ex-smoker,” she proudly professes.

“I got started young…and used to smoke a pack a day,” says Sister Mary, which according to the American Legacy Foundation can be as many as 25 cigarettes.“Two years ago, when my mom died, I cut back to three a day,” Sister Mary reflects.  From then until just recently, Sister Mary explains “I would normally go onto my balcony and enjoy a cigarette along with a glass of red wine,” she adds.

In late July, a friend disclosed to Sister Mary that he could taste cigarettes in her skin and on her lips, even though it had been hours since she had last smoked.  “That’s when I knew it was time for me to quit for good,” recounts Sister Mary.

The taste of cigarettes as described by Sister Mary’s friend is real according to Dr. Joseph Adams, MD, who specializes in internal and addiction medicine at Park West Health Systems in Baltimore, MD.  ”Kissing a smoker is like licking an ash tray,” says Dr. Adams, past president of the anti-smoking group, Smoke Free Maryland.

Dr. Adams also notes that smoking by mothers during pregnancy is widely understood to cause behavior problems and learning disabilities in their new born.  The American Legacy Foundation recommends that since smoking can damage the DNA, it is “vitally important” for men and women alike who wish to have children to quit smoking at least several months prior to conception.

Women who smoke can also risk the health of those near them through second-hand smoking.  The U.S Surgeon General estimates that living with a smoker increases the chance of getting lung cancer by 20% to 30%.  Many studies show that secondhand smoke causes children to develop asthma, ear infections, and pneumonia in children.

In fact, some researchers suggest that even after a person gives up smoking, the toxins from past smoking that remain in a person’s hair and clothes or in carpet and furniture are hazardous to infants and children.  Researchers describe this gradual buildup of toxins from secondhand smoke as “thirdhand smoke.”

While stats like these inspire women like Sister Mary to kick the habit annually, quitting smoking like ending a long relationship, is easier said than done, according to Dr. Adams.  And that’s not by mistake, he adds.

A report by the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine suggests conditions called “smoking withdrawal symptoms” are tied to nicotine, the highly addictive ingredient in cigarette smoke.  According to the report, cigarette companies manipulate levels of nicotine in cigarettes to make sure that smokers become addicted.

Nicotine causes the brain to release chemicals that create feelings of pleasure, or the “buzz” which many smokers report.  Within half an hour, the “buzz” fades away and the smoker is left feeling depressed and tired. This feeling is what causes smoker to light up the next cigarette. The cycle of stimulation and depression keeps repeating, which leads to addiction.

A person who plans to stop smoking can expect several withdrawal symptoms including headaches, nausea, and low blood pressure.  In addition to physical symptoms, women should also be on guard for the emotional issues that often result from smoking withdrawal such as anxiety, trouble sleeping, and even hunger.

To cope with these issues, Dr. Krystal Stanley, Ph.D., a DC-based licensed psychologist offers patients a few techniques.  Dr. Stanley recommends that those seeking to kick the habit should be prepared to address anxieties that may have caused them to start smoking in the first place.

For sleeping troubles and weight gain concerns, Dr. Stanley advises patients to (1) avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages up to five hours before bed; (2) spend an hour or so before bed to wind down, without TV, text messages, or other highly stimulating input; and finally (3) drink a warm, non-caffeinated beverage before bed such as warm milk or tea.

Beyond the withdrawal symptoms, since as Dr. Adams notes, over 4000 chemical compounds are created by burning a cigarette, many additives like nicotine can remain in the body long after you quit smoking.

The health web portal, primehealthchannel.com, suggests several steps for flushing your body of nicotine including drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water per day; consuming fruits containing antioxidants like Vitamin C; and regular and rigorous physical exercise.

Knowledge is one of the most potent weapons to help women leave cigarettes for good suggests Amber Bullock with the American Legacy Foundation.   On this front Bullock’s organization offers a free hotline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) and a website where smokers can develop a personalized quit plan at www.BecomeAnEX.org.

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*Brian Jones contributed to this article.  To contact the writer, email him at tkarim@teclawgroup.com.

Conversation with African American Leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Series: University of Maryland’s Dr. Darryll Pines, Ph.D.

By Talib I. Karim

Health & Tech Writer

Dr. Darryll Pines, Ph.D., Dean of the University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering (Courtesy).

On a wintery morning in early January of 2009, days before President Obama was sworn into office as the 44^th President of the United States, another African American history moment was set to take place.  That day, Dr. Darryll Pines, Ph.D. took office as the 13^th Dean of University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering.

In Pines’ opinion, his rise to lead Maryland’s engineering program, joining an elite club of African American Deans of top 20 engineering schools, was not “magical.”

Pines was born and raised in northern California.  In 1986, Pines earned a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of California Berkley’s School of Engineering (no. 3 nationally).  From there Pines headed east to the Massachusetts Institutes of Technology engineering school (no. 1 in the nation) where he earned his masters and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering.

Pines joined Maryland’s faculty as an assistant professor in1995, almost a decade after earning his undergraduate degree.  From there, Pines rose up the ranks at Maryland, leading the University’s program to increase engineering Ph.D.-bound students of color (1996), then its program to recruit more women engineers (1999), and the Department of Mechanical Engineering (2006).  Not all of Pines’ career was spent in academia.  Pines also worked on a team at the Livermore National Laboratory that helped develop a spacecraft now in display at the National Air and Space Museum.  Part of Pines’ time has also been in the corporate sector with companies like Chevron.

In an exclusive interview with the Afro American, Pines gives students and parents some straight talk on how they can pave their own paths to a six figure income through engineering.

Afro:  With the recent celebration of Dr. King’s legacy, what’s been the impact of his message in the tech sector?

Dr. Pines:  The impact of Dr. King’s dream in the technology fields has been a slow to evolve. While we are indeed graduating more minority engineers than every before, the pace of growth could definitely improve.  One positive sign is that today, along with myself, there are African American Deans at several major top 50 engineering schools including Georgia Tech (no. 4), Illinois (no.6), and Cornell (no.8).  We must pay particular attention to increasing our pool of graduate students and faculty of color.  Community colleges can continue to play a very important role for minority students in offering a pathway to four-year engineering schools.

Afro: Of your 3500 engineering students, and 198 tenured and tenure-track faculty members, what’s your diversity break down.

Dr. Pines:  We have 450 (nearly 13%) students of color, and 20 (10%) faculty of color.

Afro: Now are you including in those figures international students, because we understand that many university engineering schools are predominated by Asian and other non-native US students?

Dr. Pines: I cant give you exact breakdowns, but I can say that our graduate student population is approximately 60 percent international and 40 percent US.  And our number of US-born graduate students has been increasing each year.  At the graduate level, to increase our pipeline of native-US students, we have increased our efforts to recruit US students from numerous Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  This past fall 2011, 17 percent of our enrolled graduate students were from underrepresented backgrounds.

Today, its not like the way things were when I started engineering school.  Students of color early on just need a support network.  Its not rocket science to getting accepted into engineering school.  There’re lots of students in the pipeline in the Maryland, DC region.  The question is can they close out and get into schools, and graduate.  And I don’t really care if they come to College Park, I just want students, particularly African Americans, to go into science and engineering because we just need more scientists and engineers.

Afro: Once you get students of color in, what is your graduation rate?

Dr. Pines: Our graduate rate 56% which is impressive because the national average is 49%.  We put our best professors in lower level classes.  Once admitted, African American students can join the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) [the nation’s largest student organization], which provides internships, a network, and conferences.  And there’s a sister organization for Latino students, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.  That starts the network, and I benefited from these networks myself.  Today, some of the people I knew as students are running engineering programs in colleges across the country.

Afro: What is Maryland doing to help prepare its engineering school grads for the tough job sector?

Dr. Pines: If you’re a high school student debating what to study in college, and I told you that I could guarantee you a job making around $65,000 if you graduate from Maryland’s School of Engineering after graduation, I would be right almost 85% of the time (including acceptances in to grad school and the military).  Maryland engineering school grads have no problem getting jobs, there is still a large demand for people to solve technical and non-technical problems.

Afro: Economists and others point to a decline in innovation in the US as the primary cause of the ongoing recession.  What is the University of Maryland doing to reverse this trend?

Dr. Pines: Maryland has a reputation for helping to launch or create new businesses. Examples include Hughes Satellite Networks, MedImmune, and Martek Biosciences. In addition, Maryland added a second honors program curriculum in entrepreneurship for undergraduate students.

We’re also attached administratively to the Maryland Technology Institute (Mtech), which encourages faculty and students to launch firms, file patents, or work with corporations to translate their ideas into practice.  And Mtech is not just for the University of Maryland family, but for anyone with a good idea for starting a tech business in Maryland.  If we decide your business makes sense, we can offer you up to a year of near free housing, internet service, and administrative support to help launch your business [some businesses have been incubated for up to 18 months].

But given the economy, one has to be prepared for the reality that it’s more difficult to launch anything unless it’s a slam dunk.

Afro: How can an African American graduate of Maryland Engineering School or any other position himself to rise up the ladders of academia like you?

Dr. Pines: The people who head engineering programs around the country are all of my contemporaries.  I knew them in undergraduate school.  We’re African Americans who were afforded opportunities to go to top-tier undergraduate and graduate schools.  After graduating, if you want to teach and if you do reasonably well, you are given a chance to be dean.  With the right opportunity and right skills, you can succeed.  I know its not that simple, but its not magical either.

I’d add to those junior faculty members seeking to become an engineering school administrator, its important to put yourself to get the attention of the school’s administration.  A junior person must be willing to serve their university in a variety of roles to get noticed.

The writer can be reached at TKarim@teclawgroup.com. 

Howard University Alumni, Students Plan Jobs March to Brown the Occupy Movement

By Talib I. Karim, Esq.

(Howard University Alumnus, BS ’92, JD ’95)

Howard University students, alumni, and faculty plan to link up with the Occupy DC movement for the March for Jobs and Justice, starting on Howard’s Ga. Ave. campus and ending at the U.S. Chambers of Commerce on 17th & H streets

As Howard University alumni, students, and friends celebrated Homecoming this past week, the campus was also abuzz about the Occupy movements sweeping the nation.  The movement, which holds itself out as a representation of the 99% of U.S. citizens who own just 1% of the nation’s wealth, has been criticized for lacking participation from people of color.

Nonetheless, African Americans, particular intellectuals from revered institutions like Howard are beginning to gravitate towards the national movement.  In the Washington area, an initiative is afoot to “brown” the Occupy efforts.

On Friday at 5pm, alumni, students, faculty, and friends of Howard University plan to lead what organizers describe as March for Jobs and Justice, from the University’s Georgia Avenue campus downtown to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along the way linking up with both the District’s Occupy encampments (one at 15th and K, and the other at Freedom Plaza, on Pennsylvania Avenue).

This initiative by the Howard community comes on the heels of the recent arrests of Princeton Professor Cornell West and Raheem DeVaughn along with other Occupy protesters outside the U.S. Supreme Court.  Their protest sought to bring attention to the injustice in the American legal system underscored by last month’s execution of Troy Davis and the assassinations of Americans living overseas, without trial, in the name of national security.

Yet for the Howard protesters, jobs as well as justice are their inspirations for joining the Occupy movements.  According to Jonathan Hutto, who in the nineties, served as Howard University Student Association president and undergraduate trustee, today’s Occupy movement is reminiscent of the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968, which his fellow Atlanta native, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began organizing just before his assassination.

Hutto, who today lives in Prince George’s County, states “That great son of Howard, Kwame Ture (Stokley Carmichael) taught us correctly that students and youth are the spark and catalyst of mass movement, organization and change.  Just as we dismantled Jim Crow a generation ago, we must abolish today’s road blocks to full economic parity in our nation for all citizens.”

Hutto’s points are borne out by the disproportionate impact of the job crises on the African American community.  The reported national unemployment rate is 9.7%, but 17% in the African American community.  According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics if you factor in the total number of employable adults who are either out of work or underemployed (in part time or temporary jobs), the rate goes up to 53% or nearly 110 million Americans.  It’s estimated that 85% of African Americans fall into this pot.

Today’s Howard University Student Association president, Brandon Harris, whose hometown of Memphis was where Dr. King made his last stand, believes that justice is a critical component of Friday’s march.  Harris notes that even today, with an African American in the White House, justice remains elusive for people of color, which is the reason why a dozen of Brandon’s school mates got arrested in plain sight of President Obama’s office in outrage over Troy Davis’ execution.

Netfa Freeman, a University of the District of Columbia alumnus believes that while the March begins at Howard, it has broader implications for creating a new Black-White alliance.  Freeman contends that mass unemployment fueled by corporate excesses has long been understood by African Americans as a culprit for breeding the “Black underclass.”  However, now that “middle class” whites are feeling the pain of unemployment and housing evictions, everyone is talking about greed and corruption of the top 1%, says Freeman.

The Howard-led march for jobs and justice, lends a clear vision to the Occupy movement, where none previously existed adds Freeman.  Up until now, “many of us probably felt that if we’re going to jeopardize our jobs and sacrifice the little resources we have, we needed to know exactly what for.”  Heeding that point, organizers of Friday’s march are intent on keeping their focus crystal clear.

Further, leaders of Friday’s March for Jobs and Justice intend to notify District authorities of their plans, and hope local officials will join their movement.  Moreover, the Howard trained lawyers, engineers, and business professionals and students behind the march have their eyes fixed on long term solutions.  Beyond the march, organizers hope to organize job fairs, business plan competitions, small business incubators, and other initiatives to achieve the goal of ensuring that every American has a job who wants one, particularly Howard alumni and students.

Health Power-Broker Series: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Research Director Dr. Marjorie Innocent Promises that Annual Legislative Conference Will Arm Public with Truth about Health Reform

By Talib I. Karim, Esq.
Health & Law Reporter

Dr. Marjorie Innocent, Ph.D., Congressional Black Caucus’ Senior Director of Research and Programs says the CBC ALC is very rich in content and offers those interested in health care issues useful information, contacts, and other resources to advance their work. (Courtesy of Robert Wood Johnson)

This week’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference or “CBCF ALC” will be the 20^th that I’ve attended/observed, and the 41st ever, the first being held in 1970, just months after my arrival, on earth that is.

It’s no coincidence that nearly 40 years to the date after the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) itself was formed, one of its own members, Barack Obama, standing on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, would be sworn in to the nation’s highest public office.

It’s also no coincidence that two and a half years later, the ALC would focus on the center-piece of the Obama Administration’s legislative policy, health reform.

I recently discussed this year’s focus of health reform and jobs, with Dr. Marjorie Innocent, CBCF Director of Research and Programs.  A proud crisp-dressing woman of Haitian decent, raised inQueens,NY, Dr. Innocent has a B.A. in Political Science and a Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, respectively.

Here’s what Dr. Innocent had to say:

Talib:  Dr. Innocent, first tell me, how did you get involved with championing health care issues for the CBCF?

Dr. Innocent: After finishing college, I noticed a connection between a person’s health and where they lived.  This sparked my curiosity which was quenched at Johns Hopkins where I focused on this issue as well as the benefits of school based health centers.  My work on these issues ultimately led me to the CBCF.

Talib: As people follow your lead and look to the health sector for employment opportunities, do you think it’s a good choice.

Dr. Innocent: I do.  In fact, the truth is that the Affordable Care Act provides opportunities for good paying jobs, not just for traditional health sciences professionals like doctors and nurses, but also for educators, IT specialists, and others.

Talib:  During my days as a Hill staffer helping to advance health reform, many in the CBC and Progressive Caucus argued that health care legislation was in fact a jobs bill.  So your point proves that fact.  Nonetheless, how are those seeking good paying health sector jobs helped by the President’s new $450 billion jobs stimulus package?

Dr. Innocent: While I’m still studying the President’s entire proposal, it’s clear that there are billions of dollars proposed for job training that can help the unemployed get the skills needed for them to reenter the workforce by landing the kind of good-paying jobs offered in the health sector.

Talib: With so many opportunities in the President’s health reform law, why is the public still confused?

Dr. Innocent: The CBCF is a non-partisan, non-profit organization.  Yet, it appears that certain forces might prefer to keep the public misinformed.  As a social policy think tank, it’s our role to give the public the truth, particularly the African American community.  And that’s what we’ve done with the Affordable Care Act.

Namely, we’ve published a report, Understanding Health Reform: A Community Guide for African Americans, specifically written for African Americans but designed to help all Americans understand the benefits available to them under the health reform law, as well as the law’s potential for bringing about health equity across racial/ethnic, gender, economic and geographic lines.

Talib: What are examples of some myths that your Community Guide helps to dispel?

Dr. Innocent:  First, we explain that the law does not mean that people will lose their health care or be forced to give up their family doctors, it does not impose limits on the services that people can receive, nor will it cause costs to sky rocket for businesses.  In fact, we explain that health reform is designed to give people access to care by using the latest in preventative care.  The law seeks to shift the nation’s focus from just treating people when they are sick to keeping people healthy, which will eliminate the gross burden on the nation’s limited resources.

Talib: Your Community Guide explains the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act in 50+ pages.  For our readers, what would you say is the most important opportunity for those representing underserved communities like African Americans?

Dr. Innocent: There’s really too many to quickly single out the best opportunity.  Yet, if I had to choose, I’d say the newly created National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Talib: Right, the Institute was formerly aNationalCenter at the National Institutes of Health.  But what does this elevation mean in practical terms?

Dr. Innocent:   As a National Institute, it will have expanded research funding and will lead and evaluate NIH’s work on minority health and health disparities.  On a practical level, we now have a national resource tasked with helping health providers and organizations who have established relationships within our community to get the funding they need to better serve our community.  Some groups don’t get funding because they don’t know about the grants or cannot compete with larger applicants.  The National Institute is there to level the playing field.

The Institute can also play a pivotal role in tracking the efforts of the entire federal public health system to assess whether their efforts are effectively impacting the African American community.  If fully funded, and properly supported, over the next 15-20, we can see a dramatic change.

Talib: You’re talking about significant increases in mental and physical wellbeing, total health outcome improvements?

Dr. Innocent: Correct.

Talib: In closing, you all have several events planned next week specifically designed for those like our readers who are interested in advancing health outcomes on the local and national level.  Can you highlight them?

Dr. Innocent:   There are numerous events to attend.  I would say check out the full list to see what works for schedule.  For example, on Wednesday at 12:00, there is a Luncheon entitled “Healing Power:Community Health Centers, Prevention and Health Reform in Black Communities.”  The next day there are several other Health and Wellness events including a forum hosted by Congressman Conyers discussing what’s needed to defend and build on Healthcare Reform.  Friday also features health forums and braintrusts such as that organized by Congresswoman, Dr. Donna M. Christensen examining the Politics of Race & Health Equity.

Talib: And I’m sure we can also expect an earful on health reform from your keynote speaker for Saturday’s Phoenix Awards Dinner, President Obama. Clearly, with such probing and insightful content, the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and Wall Street Journal alike should have no problem finding hard news during the ALC to feature in the front pages of their publications.

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Medicare-Medicaid-Health Reform on Budget Cutting Block: Advocates, Docs Say Fight is On!

By Talib I. Karim, Esq., Health & Law Writer

August 16, 2011

Advocates for seniors, disabled, and the poor along with health providers are gearing up for a fight to convince Congress to protect Medicare, Medicaid, Health Reform (Photo Courtesy of AARP).

Through an 11th-hour deal, Congress recently avoided a potential “debt-magetton” — a predicted financial melt-down had the federal government defaulted on its debt by not raising its borrowing limit.

To be clear, the deal signed into law by the president on Aug. 2 contained no cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.  However, in exchange for the $900 billion debt-limit hike, $917 billion was axed in federal spending through capping discretionary budgets over the next 10 years.  This comes on the heels of $38 billion in federal cuts required by an earlier deal to avoid a government shutdown this spring.  While not directly affecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, these new cuts will no doubt impact health agencies responsible for critical components of social safety-net programs including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

How Much Will it Hurt

 

The immediate cuts may be the least of worries for Medicare, Medicaid, and health reform advocates such as Dr. Cedric Bright, M.D. who leads the 30,000-member National Medical Association (NMA).  Dr. Bright is particularly focused on round two of the default-saving deal, which he fears could gut safety-net programs like Medicare and further stymie the landmark health reform law.

Under the deal-now-law, by year’s end, Congress is required to reduce the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion through one of two ways.

The first approach is via a newly formed Congressional bipartisan panel consisting of 12 members of both legislative chambers.  The special panel is charged with combing the entire federal budget to find savings and/or new revenues.  As far as cuts, even defense spending and guaranteed federal benefits (or “entitlements”) such as Medicare and Medicaid (long regarded as “sacred cows”) are on the chopping block.  Analysts with the law firm of Patton Boggs expect a Supercommittee deal to be painful for the nation’s health system.  “[Reductions] that would produce significant savings, including cuts to graduate medical education programs, home health providers, labs, rural hospitals, Medigap and Medicaid,” are likely targets for the budget-ax according to a Patton Boggs client update.

If this new committee cannot reach a consensus on at least $1.2 trillion in additional debt reductions by November 23 or if Congress does not approve a package recommended by this committee within 30 days later, a trigger automatically kicks in to guarantee the $1.2 trillion in federal deficit savings.  This mechanism, in the form of a federal sequestration process, would amount to across-the-board cuts in defense and non-defense spending over the next decade.  Included in these cuts would be a two-percent reduction in Medicare health provider payments.  Medicaid would not be affected by the trigger.

The president and some Congressional Democrats hope to avoid the cuts-by-trigger because the required deficit reductions would completely shield the wealthy from new taxes, which President Obama has spoken out against as he campaigns for re-election.

Similarly, Republicans don’t see the trigger as the ideal solution as it portends deep cuts to the military, the most significant since before the Bush presidency.  Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee described the possible military sequestration as “extraordinarily difficult.”

However amongst Progressives who generally opposed the deficit-deal, some such as Robert Creamer who writes for the blog Americans Against the Tea Party, suggest that the triggered cuts may be preferable to a supercommittee plan that could weaken  Medicare and similar programs.

Health Reform, Medicare Doctors in Bullseye of Budget Cutters

Either path to federal budget austerity threatens health care reforms created by the Obama Administration’s prized achievement, the Affordable Care Act.  Both deficit reduction approaches could zero-out funding for key health reform programs such as those supporting disease control efforts, initiatives to increase physicians of color, and aid for state health insurance exchanges.  At least two health reform programs have already been scrapped, a win for conservatives who have made the reforms their top legislative target.

Health providers are also caught in the cross hairs of both deficit reduction paths.  According to NMA’s Dr. Bright the anticipated reductions in health provider fees are “a double-edged sword” in light of the 29.5 percent Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula’s cuts to Medicare physician payments set to kick in on January 1, 2012.  The NMA and others are working to include a full repeal of the SGR in the next budget deal, yet such a proposal would require $300 billion in offsets elsewhere.

The Fight for Medicare, Medicaid, Health Reform is On!

With the battle lines drawn between conservatives—set on dismantling Medicare and other safety-net programs and outright killing health reform initiatives—and care providers, progressives who see the nation’s growth and prosperity rooted in the health and well-being of its people, observers expect a huge fight in Washington over the next few months, with millions being spent to sway Congress in one direction or another.

And if the conservatives win, seniors and the nation as a whole will lose, “[because] doctors simply wont be able to afford to treat them…and the adage of cutting off our nose to spite our face could become a reality,”  says the NMA President Dr. Bright.

Profile of Health Industry Power-Broker: Dr. Cedric Bright, NMA President

By Talib I. Karim, Esq., Health & Law Reporter

Dr. Cedric Bright, MD, Assistant Dean for Admissions at University of North Carolina recently assumed the post as the 112^th President of the National Medical Association(NMA).  Dr. Bright spoke with me about the ongoing relevance of NMA and the group’s fight to protect Medicaid and Medicare, which he describes as “products” of the NMA.

The NMA has just wrapped up its annual convention in Washington, which I found quite informative.  From here, what are the top challenges facing the NMA today?

I would rank our challenges as follows: (1) the possibility of cuts to Medicare and Medicaid funding, (2) opposition to fully funding key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the result of which would prevent those eligible for free health insurance from getting the care they need, particularly those who lose their jobs; and (3) cardiovascular disparity.

What’s cardiovascular disparity?

In 1999, the Institutes of Medicine reported that African Americans with similar health insurance as those from other ethnic groups received unequal health treatment.  One of the most egregious disparities identified was in the outcome of cardiovascular patients based solely upon their race.  Our goal is to decrease and eventually eliminate the gap of health outcomes between [European-American] and underrepresented [African American] populations.

In this environment of budget-tightening and consolidation, has there been any thought for a merger of NMA with other African American health professional organizations to expand your political and economic power?

We have explored such collaborations, but we’ve not yet been able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.  However, many of our NMA local societies are mixed societies.

In my hometown, I’m a member of the Durham Academy of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy.  On the local level you see the value of combined economic and political power; it’s my hope to expand this collaboration on the national level.  For now, there’s nothing to stop us from collaborating with other African American health professionals to construct a common health agenda for our community.  That’s something that I would like to see during my presidency.

Some have asked whether African American organizations remain relevant in this era of the Nation’s first African American President, why should a young physician out of medical school join the NMA and is your organization still relevant?

Relevance is demonstrated in that we still have health disparity, which doesn’t dissipate based upon income.  You can have the same health insurance but different outcomes from your colleague who does not look like you.

In addition, the medial profession is still fraught with institutional barriers that impact the development of African American physicians.  Evidence of this is found in the number of professors in academic medicine, compared to the junior faculty (assistant professors and clinical assistants) who are unlikely to be promoted.  Let’s also look at health care professionals in administrative positions in hospitals, the number continues to hold stagnant and has not grown.

It’s a fact that 70% of successful Black physicians face a challenge in their careers that jeopardize their ability to practice their profession.  From frivolous law suits to sham peer reviews.

Third, look at our economic condition, which is connected to our health condition.  A recent PEW study showed that in 2004, net worth at of white families stood at $134,000, compared to $12,000 for African Americans.  By 2009, the average net worth of the white family dropped to $113,000 and the black family dropped to $5600, Latinos fared a bit better at $6300.  For every one dollar in net worth black household had $.05.

Even with a Black President we still are economically disadvantaged and your wealth is determinative of your health.  Your zip code can tell more about your life expectancy than your genes.

The NMA was founded in 1895, what accomplishments stand out most over its history?

By far, it’s our role in establishing Medicaid and Medicare 46 years ago.  The NMA lobbied LBJ [President Johnson] for these initiatives when other professional organizations lobbied vehemently against them.  We understood the value in taking care of our seniors and other vulnerable populations understanding the strength of a nation is only as strong as its weakest links.

What legacy do you intend to leave from your term as President?

I hope to leave a legacy of expanded collaborations between the NMA and other African American health organizations and to bridge gaps between the generations.  I gave a lecture to the Student National Medical Association.  I asked the students how many had to drink from a white-only water fountain.  My generation’s realization that we were different from our white colleagues served as the tie that bound us.  That’s not the tie that binds this new generation of physicians.

We have to build relationships with younger professionals so when they start to be affected by professional barriers they will view NMA as a source of advocates and champions.

Dr. Cedric Bright, serves as Assistant Dean for Admissions at University of North Carolina and also leads 30,000 African American physicians as the newly inducted President of the National Medical Association (courtesy)