RE: Racial Disparities in South Carolina

[Guest guest]

Colleagues:

Thought this was interesting and clearly illustrates the role of poverty and lack of education in accessing healthcare. You can imagine what it must be like with the additional dimension of language barriers. Not sure if they will be covering immigrants--including migrant workers, if not, perhaps the South Carolina Migrant Program can bring this to the paper's attention.

Adolfo Mata, Director Hispanic Health Initiative Office of the Director/Bureau of Primary Health Care Health Resources and Services Administration/US DHHS 4350 East-West Hwy, 8th FL Bethesda, land 20814 (301) 594-4976 amata@...

Daily Health Policy Report

Coverage and Access | AP/ton Post and Courier Looks at Racial Health Disparities in South Carolina [sep 28, 2001]

The AP/ton Post and Courier examines racial disparities in health in South Carolina, a "relatively small, poor, rural state." According to the AP/Post and Courier, blacks account for one-third of the state's population but make up more than two-thirds of the state's AIDS cases. In 2000, blacks accounted for 71% of reported HIV infections, while whites accounted for 27%. In addition, blacks have shorter life expectancies, higher infant mortality rates and a higher risk of developing cancer than whites. South Carolina has the nation's highest stroke death rate, and blacks are 50% more likely than whites to die of strokes. In South Carolina, Hispanics and American Indians also have higher rates of cancer, AIDS and diabetes than whites. For example, 13% of Catawba Indians ages 20 and older have diabetes, three times as many as for whites and twice as many as for blacks. The disparities can be attributed to poverty and education, the AP/Post and Courier reports. Nearly 15% of South Carolina's population lives in poverty. Dr. Greenberg, president of the Medical University of South Carolina, said, "There's a huge economic disparity between the African-American population and the majority population." Greenberg added that the poor "generally have less education, which, in turn, affects their ability to get insurance, medical care and medicine." In 1996, 21% of the state's blacks did not receive medical care because of cost reasons, compared with 10% of whites (Geier, AP/ton Post and Courier, 9/24).

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BPHC RELEASES HEALTH CENTER NEW START AND EXPANSION GRANT GUIDANCE

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In response to President Bush's initiative to establish 1,200 new or

expanded community health center sites over the next five years, the Health

Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)

recently released guidance on new funding opportunities for Fiscal Year

2002. The guidance acknowledges that although action on the FY 2002

appropriation has not been completed, the BPHC anticipates being able to

accept applications for new health center access points under the

Consolidated Health Center Program. For information about eligibility

requirements, application instructions and due dates, see

ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bphc/docs/2001pins/2001-18.pdf