Once again, as is a daily occurrence on different scales, there has been yet another senseless act of violence fueled by white supremacy. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and the Black communities in Buffalo and beyond. We know that expressions of sadness are not enough. We must act. For those of us that are White, the denial of an ingrained ideology in this country that we are superior cannot continue to be ignored. We must face how this has created our interactions and beliefs with others (in our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces) that are not White and continues to destroy the fabric of this nation, founded on genocide and slavery. 

 

At PHIWM we continue to learn and evolve our individual and organizational understanding and actions to address the destructive racial hierarchy in our society. We believe in our public health strategies of bringing people together, highlighting community assets and issues that need more resources, and practicing loving-kindness, and though the learning curve continues to be steep, we push on with humility. 

Please read this statement by Dr. Gail C. Christopher, Executive Director, National Collaborative for Health Equity: FINDING THE LIGHT TO DRIVE OUT HATE.

The Race and Health Equity Resource Guide was developed by our Board's Race & Health Equity Committee. Our hope is that it will serve as a resource for the board and staff, as well as external partners. Read below how Cristina Huebner Torres, PhD, MA, Chief Research & Population Health Officer at Caring Health Center has used the Guide.

Written by Jessica Collins, Executive Director and Attorney Liz Dineen, Board Member and CEO of YWCA of Western MA

Debates about Roe v. Wade (the 1972 Supreme Court ruling that enabled abortion rights) are roiled with hurt, hate, religious and political proselytizing, bitter dividedness, and most importantly, the tremendous risk to individuals who are pregnant. Pregnancy can often be a life and death situation, both in becoming pregnant and giving birth. Recent public health data show alarming inequities in both sexual violence and maternal health. Limiting abortion will have negative impacts, on the immediate and the long-term decisions that come with having a child: whether those decisions are related to health, finances, or social and emotional well-being.

PHIWM, in partnership with organizations like the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, released a report in 2019 on Sexual Violence Towards Girls and Women in Hampden County. In our report, we shared that sexual violence is a widespread public health problem that is often overlooked and underreported. In addition to the physical and emotional traumas of sexual violence, experiences of sexual violence are strongly associated with other types of violence, as well as a variety of negative sexual, mental, and physical health outcomes, including unintended pregnancies. Adolescent girls and young women, arguably, carry the greatest burden of sexual violence.

Data regarding maternal health is stark when viewed through an equity lens. The risk of pregnancy-related deaths for black women is three to four times higher than those of white women.[i] Similarly, infant mortality rates among black people are more than double those of white people.[ii]

For these two public health reasons and because we stand firmly behind a policy that upholds human rights, we feel it is important to highlight what is going on in our country and our Commonwealth to ensure the reduction of inequities and the protection of rights to safeguard safety and wellbeing for all. For most of our country’s history, women led on the care of both pregnancy and childbirth. In the latter part of the 20th century, these became medicalized and politicized, and though this country had provided laws to protect women’s rights, we are going backward with tremendous risk to women’s and family’s health.

In light of this national debate, it is important to understand the implications for people here in Massachusetts with regard to this health and safety issue. Restricting abortion access will not stop abortions, rather it will result in people seeking out unsafe abortion care. That is why Massachusetts lawmakers are preparing to both secure women’s rights here in MA and to support women who may come here from other states.

The Democrat-controlled Legislature passed the ROE Act in 2020 to codify and expand access to the abortion procedure over a veto from Governor Charlie Baker. Abortions are legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy and are allowed afterward in cases of fatal fetal anomaly or to preserve a pregnant person’s health. Individuals as young as 16 years old can seek the procedure without consent from a parent or judge. If the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade and decisions around abortion become state ruled, then Massachusetts, like other states, could be safe harbors for people seeking the procedure.

Currently, advocates are asking for Massachusetts legislators to think about everything possible to protect people— from funding to provider protections, to patient protections, to expanded access. Massachusetts House lawmakers already passed $500,000 to expand abortion access in their budget to support people from out of state, while the Senate included $2 million.

When policymakers debate policy and law that can result in the intensification of health inequities, it is imperative that they understand health data, patterns of social strife, and injustices.

[i] MA Department of Public Health. Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Initiative. https://www.mass.gov/service-details/maternal-mortality-and-morbidity-initiative Accessed 5/17/22.

[ii] Kaiser Family Foundation. Infant Mortality Rate by Race/Ethnicity, 2019. https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/infant-mortality-rate-by-race-ethnicity/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D Accessed 5/17/22

Did you know May is Mental Health Awareness Month? The Springfield Youth Mental Health Coalition is offering FREE mental health training to groups in greater Springfield. This is made possible through funding from the Department of Public Health Office of Problem Gambling. Learn how to bring training to your team!

413Cares has developed some new and exciting partnerships to get more resources out into the community. Learn about all partnerships.

The Public Health Institute of Western MA is the technical assistance provider for the COVID Community Impact Survey (CCIS) for Western MA. The CCIS has a wealth of data related to housing, employment. healthcare, intimate partner violence, substance use, youth, mental health, and more. We have already received several requests for data analysis to help inform practices, policies, advocacy efforts, and other actions.

The Biden Administration just made more COVID rapid tests available. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order a third round of free at-home tests. Each order will contain 8 tests. Order here: www.COVIDtests.gov.

La Administración Biden acaba de poner a disposición más pruebas rápidas de COVID. Cada hogar en los EE. UU. es elegible para solicitar una tercera ronda de pruebas gratuitas en el hogar. Cada pedido contendrá 8 pruebas. Ordene aqui

MA is making it more convenient for eligible residents to receive approved treatments for COVID-19 by making these treatments available at home. Learn more.

MA está haciendo que sea más conveniente para los residentes elegibles recibir tratamientos aprobados para COVID-19 al hacer que estos tratamientos estén disponibles en el hogar. Apprende más.

A newly launched, free telehealth service can help MA residents more easily access Paxlovid, a COVID-19 treatment pill, within 5 days of symptom onset or testing positive. In a telehealth visit, residents can be evaluated directly for COVID-19 treatment without contacting their health care provider. If approved, prescriptions can then be picked up at a local pharmacy or sent via free overnight delivery. To be eligible, residents must:

No insurance required. The telehealth service is available in multiple languages.

Un servicio de telesalud gratuito recientemente lanzado puede ayudar a los residentes de MA a acceder más fácilmente a Paxlovid, una píldora de tratamiento de COVID-19, dentro de los 5 días posteriores al inicio de los síntomas o al resultado positivo. Si se aprueba, las recetas pueden retirarse en una farmacia local o enviarse mediante entrega gratuita al día siguiente. Para ser elegible, los residentes deben:

1. Ser mayor de 18 años

2.  Da positivo por COVID-19 y tiene síntomas

3.  Tiene ciertas condiciones médicas que aumentan el riesgo de una enfermedad grave o tiene más de 65 años.

No se requiere seguro. El servicio de telesalud está disponible en varios idiomas.