MINORITY HEALTH: Twin Cities Paper Looks At ‘Health Gap’
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is running a series of articles that explore the challenges minorities, immigrants and women face in accessing the nation's health care system. Selected articles from the series:
- An article describes how many minorities and low-income Americans often lack access to the latest health care technologies, in effect creating a two-tiered health care system.
- A look at immigrant and minority health outreach efforts in Minnesota and the Twin Cities area.
- A report on the spread of AIDS among African-Americans and Latinos.
- A look at how medical researchers are increasingly devoting their attention to projects that will benefit women and minorities.
- An article on the cultural barriers that non-Western immigrants must overcome.
- A report on efforts to close the health care gap.
The Pioneer Press has set up "The Health Gap" website, which provides links to articles from the series, a photo documentary and a detailed statistical profile on the health care gap between minorities and whites. The website can be accessed at: www.pioneerplanet.com/archive/healthcaregap/.
See Also
Yesterday's Portland Oregonian reported that the growing number of immigrants in Oregon is prompting the need for more qualified medical interpreters at hospitals and other health facilities. However, the state "has no rules, standards or laws regulating interpreters" (Carreon, 9/23).
Tuesday's Detroit Free Press featured a report on how Michigan's Medicaid HMO program and federal budget cuts are impacting Detroit's public health clinics. Dr. Margaret Green, Detroit's medical director, said, "Our primary care clinics are truly a provider of last resort. Medicaid is really our only significant revenue source. When it's gone, it's all gone" (Wendland, 9/22).