HEALing Connections: A Look at Black Medical Care

Congratulations on a great first event this semester! Today's event included a documentary and a panel discussion on the experiences of African American health care. The panel participants touched on a number of topics including:

• Personal experiences
• How to build a trusting patient-physician relationship
• Challenges the patient and doctor may encounter
• Systemic vs. grassroots changes and goals in health care
• Creating awareness
• Developing personal awareness of one's one biases and self education on diversity concerns

Please leave your thoughts/comments!

HEAL class 2/8/12

Our guest speaker for today's class was Peggy Belger from Red Cross. She discussed:

• Her own personal experiences with disaster and victims
• Language barriers and the importance of simply showing you care as a way to transcend such as barrier
• Role of the Disaster Action Team (DAT)
• Challenges of providing disaster/crisis victims with care and tips for your own safety
• The importance of understanding and following Red Cross protocol as a professional providing care
• The relief that Red Cross provides to ALL people despite SES, etc.
• The importance of connecting to people and even the use of humor ONLY when the victim initiates it
• Red Cross is involved with other activities outside of disaster relief such as providing trainings and awareness events

Please share your thoughts/comments!