Dr. Nwando Anyaoku invited Dr. Arpan Waghray, CEO of Providence’s Well Being Trust, to discuss the challenges and obstacles that minority communities encounter in accessing mental health care. Dr. Waghray delves into the stigma surrounding mental health within minority communities and highlights Providence's initiatives to bridge gaps in care, notably through community partnerships. A core objective for Dr. Waghray is to destigmatize conversations around mental health and foster a culture where such discussions are normalized.If you would like additional information on resources, please check out these links: Minority Mental Health Awareness Month: Resources Supporting Minority Populations - Well Being TrustResources - Well Being Trust

Host, Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, Chief Health Equity and Clinical Innovation Officer at Providence welcomed guests Dr. Tanya Sorensen, executive director Maternal and Fetal Medicine and Sauleiha Akangbe, clinical program manager, JUST Birth Network.    On this episode, Dr. Sorensen and Sauleiha share some insight with us about why Black women face alarming disparities in maternal mortality rates compared to white women, regardless of their income or education level. And why this racial disparity extends to other life-threatening conditions during pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage, and increased rates of preterm birth and low birth weight.   They also discussed some of the ways in which Providence is addressing these health equity issues, such as with the JUST Birth Network | Swedish.  Additional information about Black maternal health care   CDC data show that Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, with most of the maternal deaths being preventable. This heightened risk spans all income and education levels. According to the study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, the wealthiest Black woman in California is at a higher risk of maternal mortality than the least wealthy white woman.  Black birthing people are also more likely to experience life-threatening conditions like preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and blood clots, as well as increased incidence of other pregnancy-related complications like preterm birth and low birth weight.  Amid a national reckoning with the systemic racism underpinning American society and health care, advocates are pushing forward solutions from multiple angles, including reforming policy, health systems and medical education, and bolstering community-based organizations that advocate for better care and resources for Black moms. Please subscribe to the Culture of Health podcast on your favorite podcast platform and get new episodes the second and forth weeks of every month.

The Black Birth Empowerment Initiative (BBEI - pronounced “Bay”) is a component of the Swedish Doula Program that seeks to honor Black lives by centering and uplifting the Black birth experience with culturally congruent doula care. The Black Birth Empowerment Initiative provides doula care created for us by us to empower Black/African American clients for delivery and after their baby arrives.BBEI was created to address the disparities in the black community including disproportionately higher prenatal complications, stillbirths, postpartum complications, and increased mortality rates for both the mother and child. Learn more https://www.swedish.org/services/doula-services/black-birth-empowerment-initiative

Host, Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, engages in a discussion with Dr. Sonja Maddox, a primary care physician at PAC Med (part of the Providence family), and Denise Colome, Director of Health Equity in the South Division. Together, they delve into the intricate nuances of health equity pertaining to colorectal cancer. Throughout the episode, they shed light on the specific challenges faced by Black and LatinX communities regarding this disease, while also exploring the proactive measures being taken by Providence to address these issues."The best screening is the one that's taken." - Denise ColomeOne of our partners in addressing the health equity issues around cancer is Stand Up to Cancer. If you would like more information, you can do so at www.providence.org/lp/stand-up-to-cancer.

Our episode on colorectal cancer will be published on March 26.In this episode, we explore the impact of health equity on colorectal cancer, uncovering the disparities in prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survival rates that different populations face. Join us as we discuss the interconnected factors such as socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, and environmental influences that contribute to these disparities, and explore potential solutions to achieve greater equity in colorectal cancer care.

In this enlightening discussion, led by Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, Chief Health Equity and Clinical Innovation Officer at Providence, guests Dr. Shelley Schoepflin Sanders, a Clinician Educator and Chair of the Providence Sepsis Focus Group, and Moojan Rezvan, MBA, Supervisor of Interpreter Services and Diversity Services, bring forth valuable insights on sepsis. Delving into the intricate web of factors, they explore why ethnic minority groups face a disproportionately higher risk of developing sepsis in comparison to other populations.VIDEOSWhat is Sepsis?Learn about sepsis, the body’s overwhelming and toxic response to severe infection.Recovering from SepsisSepsis survivors share their personal experiences while Dr. Tony Riddick, pulmonologist for Providence, delves into the critical aspects surrounding this frequently fatal infection.

For Black History Month, the Culture of Health podcast is honoring Black trailblazers in healthcare from the early 19th century to present day. Our guests for these two episodes are Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, Chief, Chief Health Equity and Clinical Innovation Officer for Providence and Dr. Richard Allen Williams, Founder of the Association of Black Cardiologists (1974). Currently he is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine (full Professor), where he has been a faculty member for 46 years. (See full bios below for Drs. Anyaoku and Williams)In this second episode we will be honoring Black doctors from the latter half of the 20th century to today who’ve made substantial contributions to medicine. The trailblazers that helped pave the way for today’s Black doctors faced nearly unsurmountable barriers such as racism, segregation, and income inequality and while those barriers may not be as high, they still exist today. There are far too people to honor in two 30-minute episodes, but you can visit the providence blog at blog.providence.org to discover an article honoring Black medical pioneers. Below you’ll also find a couple of timelines with bios of additional noteworthy medical pioneers. TimelinesHonoring Black Americans’ Contributions to Medicine | AAFP From Duke UniversityA medical perspective: Chronology of Achievementshttps://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/blackhistorymonth/chronologyHost: Nwando Anyaoku, MD, MPH, MBAGuest: Richard Allen Williams, MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP

For Black History Month, the Culture of Health podcast is honoring Black trailblazers in healthcare from the early 19th century to present day. Our guests for these two episodes are Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, Chief, Chief Health Equity and Clinical Innovation Officer for Providence and Dr. Richard Allen Williams, Founder of the Association of Black Cardiologists (1974). Currently he is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine (full Professor), where he has been a faculty member for 46 years. (see Dr. Williams full bio below)In this first episode we will be focusing on the historical figures whose substantial contributions to medicine are even more significant when you understand the considerable barriers from which they had to overcome such as racism, segregation, and income inequality. Many, if not most Black medical students faced discrimination from their peers, professors, and patients, and they often had limited access to resources and mentorships. In overcoming these obstacles, they were able to change healthcare and along the way they built a pathway for others to achieve great things. Many of whom we will be discussing in our second episode.There are far too people to honor in two 30-minute episodes, but you can visit the providence blog at blog.providence.org to discover an article honoring Black medical pioneers. Below you’ll also find a couple of timelines with bios of additional noteworthy medical pioneers. TimelinesHonoring Black Americans’ Contributions to Medicine | AAFPFrom Duke UniversityA medical perspective: Chronology of Achievementshttps://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/blackhistorymonth/chronologyHost: Nwando Anyaoku, MD, MPH, MBAGuest: Richard Allen Williams, MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP

In the Health Equity in Action: Community Health Workers five-part podcast series, we examine structural deficits in healthcare for underserved populations and the ways Providence is working to close those gaps and make healthcare more equitable for all.  In the second episode we spoke with Mohammad Ahmed, a cultural navigator at Swedish in Washington about the focus of his work aiming to ensure his community has equitable access to preventive services.

In the Health Equity in Action: Community Health Workers five-part podcast series, we examine structural deficits in healthcare for minority populations and the ways Providence is working to close those gaps and make healthcare more equitable for all.  In this first episode, we discuss with Dr. Caterina Kine the ways Providence is looking to bridge those gaps through community health worker programs designed for specific community needs.

In this episode of Culture of Health, we discuss the topic of how to have meaningful conversations while respecting one’s culture. We know it can be difficult to navigate those conversations, so we’re here to help. Anna Nguyen, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for the Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration program for Providence St. Joseph Mission Heritage Medical Group speaks with Tina Ortiz, also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist services for Providence Medical Foundation at Mission Heritage Medical Group in Mission Viejo, California on this important topic. For more information and resources, visit:ProvidenceProvidence Behavioral Health ServicesProvidence Diversity, Equity + Inclusion

In this episode of Culture of Health, we learn how to increase our level of cultural competence by navigating our individual and universal biases. Anna Nguyen, a Licensed Family and Marriage Therapist with Providence, speaks with Jankee Pandya, Licensed Clinical Social Worker about the various types of bias, how we develop conscious and unconscious biases, and what to do once we recognize the biases we hold so we can start to reshape how we look at and treat others. For more information and resources, visit: ProvidenceProvidence Behavioral Health ServicesProvidence Diversity, Equity + InclusionJankee Padya's LinkedIn Profile

x

Montserrat Archila, Mission Integration Manager for the Northern California region, is joined by Ernesto Oliveras, Regional Manager of Government and Public Affairs in Providence NorCal region. Ernesto shares his personal story of what it was like growing up in an immigrant family and how that impacted his journey to where he is now.

In this episode of Culture of Health, we partner with Dash Radio for an important town hall discussion about reducing the stigma of men's mental health, especially in the BIPOC community and how to have a better understanding of mental health in these populations during a time where we are dealing with so many stressors such as Covid, economic uncertainty, racial injustices and more. Kevin McConic, Certified Diversity Professional with Providence, speaks with the following guests:Chris Thomas of The Defensive LineDr. Gaston Rougeaux-Burnes-Licensed Psychologist with The Family Center, Lubbock, TXJosesito Lopez- Professional BoxerFor more information and resources, visit: Providence Mental HealthThe Defensive LineThe Family Center*Originally published 11/21

In this episode of Culture of Health, we are discussing diabetes in the BIPOC Communities. What diabetes is, how this autoimmune disorder affects different groups, genetic components, what you can do to help prevent diabetes and manage it if you've been diagnosed with it.. James Simmons, NP | @AsktheNP Mona Garcia, RN | Providence Certified Diabetes Educator For more information and resources, visit Providence.

Host Mary Renouf chats with 5x @UFC welterweight champion, American professional mixed martial artist, and broadcast analyst, Tyron Woodley about everything mentalhealth. We discuss the stigma around mental health, admitting you need help and how to ask for it, and much more! For more mental health resources, visit: work2bewell.org*Originally published 9/21

In this episode host Elise Yarnell, Director of Patient Access at Providence Medical Group, invites guests to have open and honest discussion about their views on the COVID-19 vaccine as it applies to our youth.

The National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA) creates a supportive professional community to enhance the health, mental health, and well-being of Latinx populations. Join us for a discussion on the programs and services the organization offers.For more information and resources, visit:Providence Mental HealthNLPAWork2BeWell*Originally published 9/21

ABPsi's Dr. Benson George Cooke and Theopia Jackson, PhD, as they discuss BIPOC Mental Health and advocacy.