We’ve written about the steps that can be taken by institutions to help end racism as a public health crisis. One prevalent issue that must be addressed in that process is the failure to examine racism in medical journals and publish health research that reports on its impacts. Health Affairs published a report in 2021...
Placing an in-depth focus on community is one of my favorite tasks. Meeting people and learning about their efforts to make our collective lives better honestly feeds hope. In recognition of Black History Month, I invite you to meet some amazing Community Champions. There were no algorithms, in-depth searches, or analyses for this list. Our...
Recently, a colleague reflected on her experience during our staff visit to the Village of Healing clinic, in Euclid, OH in November 2022. Village of Healing Center had just opened its doors earlier that year. Similar to her, I was in awe of the space and the important work that Da’Na Langford, MS, CNP and...
“Why don’t they care about their neighborhood?” A question quietly whispered while driving down a street with run down houses and boarded up stores. While that question looks at the current issues facing many neighborhoods in our state and nation, it doesn’t get to the root of the issue of how we got here. Who...
When I think about the COVID-19 pandemic, I recognize the great deal of hurt and pain of people not just in the United States, but around the world. The pandemic has impacted families, friends, and colleagues from all walks of life. As of the release of this article, over 935,000 Americans have lost their lives...
What are the first images or words that come to your mind when someone says the word Africa? You may think of what you see in the media, like poverty, huts, jungles and animals. Some people would think that Africans live in trees, a stereotype that I have heard from Americans, which Africans joked that...
This post has been updated to reflect changes made to the CROWN Act as of May 2022. Earlier this year for Black History Month, I wrote about the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. The CROWN ACT is a law that was introduced to prohibit race-based hair discrimination, which is...
Who needs an appreciating asset like homeownership? Who needs to build credit, equity, and wealth to pass on? Who needs tax benefits? Most Americans would love the chance at homeownership, but for so many people of color, the very thing that should have opened the door to wealth has only opened a door to more...
Since the beginning of the opioid epidemic, advocates in our state including Community Solutions have worked tirelessly to ensure substance use disorders (SUD) and the individuals they impact receive the attention and support they deserve to recover. This includes fighting for additional mental health and addiction services funds in the state budget, supporting diversion instead...
