Race and Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 2: Reclaiming Native Food Traditions to Nourish Indigenous People

KFF Health News Original

Native foodways of hunting, fishing, gathering, and farming have been under threat since the arrival of Europeans. In this episode, hear how Indigenous people are reclaiming their food traditions to improve community health.

Biden Administration’s Rapid-Test Rollout Doesn’t Easily Reach Those Who Need It Most

KFF Health News Original

Two rapid-testing initiatives the Biden administration released in the past week are inaccessible to some residents of multifamily housing, people who don’t speak English well, or those without internet access.

El plan de Biden para entregar pruebas gratis para covid no llega fácilmente a los más vulnerables

KFF Health News Original

Desde el límite establecido en los pedidos de prueba hasta los idiomas disponibles en los sitios web, los programas pueden dejar fuera a muchas personas que no hablan inglés o no tienen acceso a Internet, así como a las que viven en hogares multigeneracionales.

‘Heart’ of Little Shell: Newest Federally Recognized Tribe to Open First Clinic

KFF Health News Original

The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana plans to open the nation’s newest Indian Health Service clinic in Great Falls on Jan. 31 — marking the first time the tribe will have its culture reflected in health care offerings.

‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 1: On the Navajo Nation, Root Causes Complicated the Covid Fight

KFF Health News Original

Explore what made the Navajo people ― also known as the Diné ― so vulnerable to the first surges of the covid-19 pandemic. The first episode of “Rezilience,” Season 4 of the “American Diagnosis” podcast, begins in the forests outside the Grand Canyon.

Black-Owned Hospice Seeks to Bring Greater Ease in Dying to Black Families

KFF Health News Original

National data shows that Black Medicare patients and their families are not making the move to comfort care as often as white patients are. Experts speculate it’s related to spiritual beliefs and widespread mistrust in the medical system due to decades of discrimination.

Why an HBCU Med School Decided to Put CARES Act Money Into Students’ Pockets

KFF Health News Original

More than most schools, the country’s historically Black colleges and universities are funneling stimulus money directly to students, wiping out loans and past-due fees. But one is going a step further with its financial assistance.

Deep Roots Help This Chicago Pharmacist Avoid Creating Another Drugstore Desert

KFF Health News Original

Predominantly Black and Hispanic urban areas are more likely than white neighborhoods to see local pharmacies close and are more likely to be pharmacy deserts. In Chicago, one pharmacist is bucking the trend, operating the drugstore his father opened in the 1960s in a Black neighborhood.

Data Science Proved What Pittsburgh’s Black Leaders Knew: Racial Disparities Compound Covid Risk

KFF Health News Original

Inside the Black Equity Coalition’s novel effort to share community health intel and scrape government data to understand — and document — the life-threatening differences between white and Black Pittsburgh.

Black Tech Founders Want to Change the Culture of Health Care, One Click at a Time

KFF Health News Original

Just as Uber Eats and Grubhub revolutionized food delivery, Black tech entrepreneurs want to change the way patients connect with doctors. They are using technology to match people of color with culturally competent professionals and the transportation they need to get to them.

Uninsured in South Would Win Big in Democrats’ Plan, but Hospitals Fear Funding Loss

KFF Health News Original

The latest iteration of President Joe Biden’s social-spending package would close the health insurance gap for at least 2.2 million people, making a huge difference especially in the South, where political opposition has blocked Medicaid expansion.

Montana Tribes Want to Stop Jailing People for Suicide Attempts but Lack a Safer Alternative

KFF Health News Original

The Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes are working with academics and policy experts on possible solutions. Their challenge is how to attract the needed mental health personnel to the remote reservation.

Racism a Strong Factor in Black Women’s High Rate of Premature Births, Study Finds

KFF Health News Original

Dr. Paula Braveman, director of UCSF’s Center on Social Disparities in Health, shares her insights on a provocative new study that identifies racism as a decisive factor in the gap in preterm birth rates between Black and white women.