Kwamane Liddell, JD, MHA, BSN

Happy Juneteenth to our patients, community members, and staff.  Today marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the nation were informed of their freedom. May today serve as a reminder of the struggle for freedom and the remarkable spirit of the African American community. As health care providers, we know first-hand how disparities play out in our communities, and we are determined to foster a more equal, just, inclusive society – in health care and beyond. #Juneteenth #HealthCareEquity

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As we honor Juneteenth, a pivotal day in Black liberation, addressing ongoing healthcare disparities for Black women is crucial. This day reminds us of the Black community's resilience and strength. We must raise awareness and advocate for equitable healthcare access and treatment to ensure the freedom and equality symbolized by Juneteenth extends to all aspects of life, including the right to health. At Futura, we recognize the importance of this day as a milestone in the ongoing journey toward equality and justice. Join us in celebrating Juneteenth by:   ⭕ Learning about its history and significance.   ⭕ Supporting Black-owned businesses and initiatives.   ⭕ Engaging in meaningful conversations about racial equity.   ⭕ Reflecting on ways to contribute to a more inclusive society. #Juneteenth #Diversity #Equality #Inclusion #CelebrateFreedom

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𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐩: 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 🎬 I'm thrilled to announce the 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐟𝐟 of our groundbreaking series, "𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐩," on 𝐍𝐁𝐂6 𝐌𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢! 📺 This episodic health series is dedicated to shedding light on the critical issue of healthcare disparities within the African American community compared to their white counterparts. 🌍 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 Our kickoff segment features a robust panel discussion with Black physicians from various medical specialties. These inspiring doctors will share their journeys to becoming medical professionals, the unique challenges they face as Black doctors in the healthcare system, and how they overcome daily instances of racism and doubt. 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 The segment will also explore a groundbreaking data study that reveals a critical link between Black physicians in Black communities and longer lifespans for Black patients. This data underscores the importance of representation and cultural competency in healthcare. 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐕����𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 Our featured doctors are passionate advocates for health equity. They're grateful for this platform to share their personal experiences and ignite a conversation about closing the gap in healthcare outcomes for Black Americans. 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐬! Don't miss this critical series premiering on 𝐌𝐚𝐲 1 𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐁𝐂6 𝐌𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢. Let's bridge the divide and create a healthcare system that serves everyone equally. #ClosingTheGap #HealthEquity #BlackDoctors

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This insightful article highlights how innovation and increased awareness are revolutionizing heart and maternal health for Black women. A must-read for everyone committed to health equity. #HealthcareInnovation #MaternalHealth #BlackWomensHealth Read here: https://lnkd.in/edjX4_UV

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We shouldn't have to rely on our resilience to exist in our workplaces. #empowerment #diversityequityinclusion #changemakers #safespaces #leadership #blackgirlinhealthcare #substackwriter #newsletter

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This month at Heal for Black People, we are shining a spotlight on the health of Black men. It's essential to address the unique challenges and health disparities faced by Black men to promote overall well-being and a healthier future. Throughout the month, we'll be sharing vital information and resources on: 🔵 **Prostate Health:** Learn about the importance of regular screenings, early detection, and preventive measures to combat prostate cancer, which disproportionately affects Black men. 🔵 **Erectile Dysfunction:** Understand the underlying causes, treatment options, and the importance of discussing this common issue with healthcare providers to improve quality of life. 🔵 **Mental Health:** Break the stigma surrounding mental health in our community. We'll provide insights into managing stress, anxiety, depression, and the importance of seeking professional help. 🔵 **Addictions:** Explore the impact of substance abuse, strategies for overcoming addiction, and available support systems to foster recovery and resilience. Join us in this crucial conversation, share these resources with your networks, and let’s work together to support the health and well-being of Black men. #BlackMensHealth #ProstateHealth #MentalHealth #ErectileDysfunction #AddictionRecovery #HealForBlackPeople https://lnkd.in/eKh4wwPt

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Just read an insightful article about the challenges and solutions in increasing the number of Black physicians. As a Black male gastroenterologist, I see firsthand the importance of having doctors who reflect the communities we serve. Beyond addressing health disparities, more Black doctors enhance trust, empathy, and relatability in patient care across all backgrounds. Supporting diversity in medicine is crucial for building a more equitable and effective healthcare system. We can do better https://lnkd.in/e_uGVjbG

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Yesterday, I had a difficult conversation with another Black woman physician that reminded me how deeply personal for us this work is of ensuring Black people get equitable healthcare access & quality. We both exchanged our emotional experiences from last month of having family members who were hospitalized, and fiercely having to advocate for them to receive standard care. We angrily recalled the many moments when complaints were dismissed, tests were not considered, procedures were inadequately explained and simple acts of compassion were not performed. As Black clinicians, it was another reminder that the unrelenting inequities & medical racism that we work to eradicate is not just a moral issue. For us, it's so much deeper than supporting our patients. For us, it's also about protecting our families, our communities, and even ourselves (we both are well aware that our white coats never have and never will save us). So it is no surprise why many from our communities feel their only option is to evade this system. Yet, we know the life-threatening, and even fatal, consequences that often come with that choice. Moreover, we sit at this intersection of being Black and in healthcare where our professional expertise teaches us the ideal of what healthcare could do but our personal experience teaches us the injustice of what healthcare is doing. And we daily have to rationalize how we work within a system that we're simultaneously trying to dismantle & rebuild. It's draining. My friend and I finished the conversation relieved that our family members made it back home, but also well aware of so many who don't. We shared our frustration of knowing that the medical education we received is insufficient for the work we have to do. You see, our work has never been limited to patient care. Our most important work will always have to include fighting for the policies and practices that keep us and those who look like us alive. And they never taught us that in medical school. The convo also helped me realize I am coming away with a more personal and pressing definition of health equity: "a state of wellness where Black humanity can finally move through the health system with freedom, instead of fear." #medicalracism #healthjustice #healthequity #blackdoctors

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🤱🏿🤱🏾🤱🏽🤱🏿🤱🏾🤱🏽🤱🏿🤱🏾🤱🏽🤱🏿🤱🏾🤱🏽🤱🏿🤱🏾🤱🏽 Welcome to Day 🖐🏾 of the 7th Annual Black Maternal Health Week first established by Black Mamas Matter Alliance in 2017. Our #BMHW24 theme is: “Our Bodies Still Belong To Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!” In seven years, my scholarship and activism translated the analytic and phenomenon of obstetric racism, first defined by Black fem anthropologist, public health scholar, doula and more Dr Dána-Ain Davis, into the first and only validated patient reported experience measure of obstetric racism©️, also known as The PREM-OB Scale registered®️. Everyday, we are also dismantling the lies of QI (quality improvement) that asserts “The absence of perinatal pathology is the presence of perinatal equity”. We are transforming the quality and patient safety paradigm in obstetrics by requiring participatory methodologies, situated at the intersection of scientific rigor and cultural humility, to operationalize Black feminism, reproductive justice, and research justuce across four modalities: analytic framework, praxis, vision and movement. This arc of “Cultural Rigor” provides us with the tools to 1) contextualize the unfair, predictable, preventable, and disproportionate deaths and near deaths impacting Black women and individuals using Black women defined frameworks (Sojourner Syndrome, Obstetric Racism, and Reproductive and Perinatal Apartheid) and 2) evaluate Black patient birthing experiences in hospital settings using novel and nuanced Black mother identified quality care domains: * Safety & Accountability * Autonomy * Communication & Information Exchange * Kinship * Racism (anti-Black racism and misogynoir) * Empathy & humanity * Dignity in Blackness & Holistic care Using obstetric racism as the exemplar, Cultural Rigor mandates that we expand meanings and measures of “being safe” (as defined by quality and patient safety professionals) to also include meanings and measures of “feeling safe” (as defined for, by and with patient experiences and community wisdom). To learn more about the limitations and current opportunities of the existing obstetric quality and patient safety paradigm in the U.S., I invite you to click on the link below to read another open access publication co-authored by me and three other women (a nurse, an anthropologist and physician), “Emotional safety IS patient safety”, in BMJ Quality & Safety journal: https://lnkd.in/eHhCetKf #EmotionalSafetyIsPatientSafety #BlackWordsMatter #BlackFeelingsMatter #BlackBodiesMatter #BlackLivesMatter #BlackMamasMatter #BlackMaternalHealthWeek #ReproJustice #BMWH24

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In the landscape of HIV prevention, a stark void exists in PrEP access and education, particularly among Black women. In this op-ed, we aim to illuminate this disparity by sharing personal experiences and highlighting missed opportunities for Black women to learn about and receive PrEP.

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Black maternal health disparities need urgent attention. DentaQuest’s Dr. Katrina Eagilen emphasizes how crucial oral health care is in achieving birth equity. Discover how dental care during pregnancy can lower risks of complications like pre-eclampsia and premature births. #MaternalHealth #HealthEquity #DentaQuest #OralHealth #BirthEquity

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I recognize that every woman's maternal health journey is unlike my own. I will use my voice to raise awareness during #BlackMaternalHealthWeek! Let's talk about the unique challenges and disparities faced by Black mothers in accessing maternal healthcare. Black mothers in the U.S. experience significantly higher rates of maternal mortality compared to white mothers. This disparity exists for various reasons, including systemic racism, unequal access to quality healthcare, socioeconomic factors, and biases within the healthcare system. Addressing these disparities is crucial for ensuring the well-being and safety of all mothers, regardless of race or ethnicity. I will continue to advocate for policies and initiatives that promote equity and improve maternal health outcomes for Black mothers. When a mother loses her life, it not only impacts the family but also impacts the community. Empowered Women, Empowered Communities #RacismIsAPublicHealthCrisis #ListenToBlackWomen #TrustBlackWomen

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History in Community Health: Acknowledging the Work of Rebecca Lee Crumpler Rebecca Lee Crumpler was a key figure in her community, working hard to improve everyone's health and well-being. At a time when medical help was hard to find and there were few public health systems, Rebecca's work was incredibly important. She organized meetings to teach people about the importance of clean water, good hygiene, and basic medical care. Her actions set the stage for today’s community health efforts. Rebecca's story shows us that a healthy community starts with people working together, a lesson that is still very important today as we continue to focus on community health. https://lnkd.in/eDA6atS5 #RebeccaLeeCrumpler #Trailblazer #CommunityHealth #PublicHealthPioneer #HealthEducation #CleanWater #CHCs #CHC #PreventiveCare #HealthHistory #publichealth #AfricanAmericanHistory #MedicalPioneer

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Going to the hair salon is non-negotiable! More than 5 years ago, I had recently returned to work after having a baby, and I decided to have my locs cut off into a teeny weeny afro (TWA). In my mind, hair appointments were a hassle and I wanted to do my own hair.  I was bemoaning having to pump breast milk in my car before walking in, finding a place to keep the milk cool, and then staying up late working on my laptop to make up for the time I spent in the salon. My AAA framework allowed me to be AWARE that I had the haircut because I felt like I shouldn’t allow myself that time, I thought I was wrong or breaking some rule for going to get my hair done when I was ‘behind’ on my research. That AWARENESS allowed me to shift my ATTITUDE so now I believe my worth is not tied to what I accomplished in research. And through that my APPROACH is different: Now, I no longer have guilt about taking time to go to the salon. I enjoy the experience, not feeling burdened by what I have to do when it’s over. I look forward to the next appointment. I am empowered to make my work schedule fit my life and find my career is not suffering from those decisions. I am no special unicorn, this AAA framework works with all my clients, changing their limiting beliefs to build new habits. At the end of the day, your research success isn’t guaranteed when you decide NOT to take time for yourself. Rather, serving yourself is the key to having research success. If you are a woman of color in academic research and you want to make time for what most matters for you, DM me “time” and we can connect about how I can help you. Reach out today to start your own transformation.

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That's very important and urgent issue to address, though few of the measures could be taken to help prevent black maternal health crisis are: Promote cultural competency and anti-bias training: Healthcare providers should receive training on cultural competency and anti-bias practices to better understand and address the unique needs and experiences of black maternal women. This can help reduce racial disparities in healthcare outcomes and ensure respectful and inclusive care. Address social determinants of health: Recognize that health outcomes are influenced by social and economic factors such as poverty, housing instability, and limited access to education. Implement policies and programs that aim to reduce these disparities through initiatives like affordable housing, job training, and quality education specially in american-african dominant population areas in the US. Expand maternal health research: Increase funding and support for research focused on understanding the causes and solutions to the black maternal women health crisis. This can help identify effective interventions, highlight the impact of systemic racism on healthcare outcomes, and inform policy decisions.

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Despite the overall rise in U.S. businesses with majority Black ownership, the healthcare sector remains notably underrepresented. At present, only a small fraction of healthcare businesses are Black-owned, a mere 3% compared to those owned by white counterparts. This stark contrast not only highlights the persistent disparities in ownership but also underscores the urgent need for greater diversity and inclusion within the healthcare industry. Let's talk about it. Systemic barriers persist, hindering the full participation and success of Black-owned healthcare businesses. These barriers range from limited access to capital and resources to entrenched biases within the industry. Addressing challenges requires concerted efforts from both public and private sectors to foster an environment where Black entrepreneurs can thrive and contribute meaningfully to the healthcare landscape. Through championing diversity our healthcare system will truly serve all individuals. Pew Research has the facts: https://lnkd.in/eP7MdmKz

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