An important conversation about racial disparities in health care

One of my priorities as the new leader of Hamilton County Job and Family Services is to give my work family opportunities to learn and engage, to broaden their knowledge about issues that might affect them and our clients. 

Racial disparities in health care is an important topic we all need to understand better. So, we turned to one of Cincinnati’s most esteemed physicians and community leaders – Dr. O’dell Owens. I wanted to know what I, as an individual, can do as well as what our agency can do to push for change. 

Did you know that the life expectancy for Black people (74.8 years) is four years lower than for white people? Black people still experience higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, asthma, obesity and heart disease – and higher chances that they will die from those diseases. 

Why do these health disparities persist? I encourage you to listen to Dr. Owens’ thoughts. It’s a quick interview, but one that left me and our employees with a lot to think about.

by Jane Prendergast

Filed Under: From the Director, News