Inside the Dream: Martin Luther King Jr's Dream to End Health Inequalities

Absolutely! Thank you for such a wonderful article.

Thank you for the reminder that access to good health care is still not to taken for granted. Many people of all races in this country do not have adequate healthcare available. While education to promote a healthy lifestyle is paramount, the access to affordable healthy options to live that healthier lifestyle are important as well and often beyond the reach of low income families.

Thanks for the great article. You bring up some very pertinent facts: the healthcare disparity is multifactorial. I work in nephrology and the disproportionate number of African-Americans that have hypertension and diabetes are astounding. I care for many African-American patients on dialysis and I think there is often miscommunication between us. I've been an APRN for almost 9 years now and I've learned a lot with regards to this topic: Many pts in a particular dialysis unit live in poverty in one zip code. I truly had no appreciation of this until I realized many were simply hungry! I would come in there with my lab coat on, my designer handbag and start lecturing them right from the beginning: why didn't they take their meds, why didn't they go to dialysis, why were they noncompliant? Well, I found out that many couldn't read the instructions I was handing out, had no clue what meds they took because they couldn't pronounce the generic name, read the instructions or understand what I was asking of them. They couldn't afford the co-pays for the meds and had no way to get to the pharmacy to pick up meds.So, I ditched the lab coat, the designer handbag and now I go see them with a hoodie, well-worn dockers and loafers. And...I listen. That is the biggest tip I have: to listen!I found out they had quit school in the 6th grade to help out at home, they had no way to get to school or they had to go to work. I now give my instruction sheets with pictures. I enlarge the print if that is needed. For my pts that have spent many years incarcerated, I try not to provide many choices because they simply aren't used to choices. I can ask if they would like to feel better and try to Rx them with meds that they only have to take once or twice per day. I also write notes to their probation officers that they indeed are anuric and nope, they can't provide a urine sample for drug test. Some are single Moms with young kids at home. I talk with the social worker about options for childcare so that they can come to dialysis, maybe there is a grant we can get for them. The healthcare disparity does exist.

Thanks for a great article!

Enjoyed the read! Very intelligent article with spot on points about present day patients.