[Anita Sulaiman]

Thanks for the info! Sounds like a great series. Will share this with the HESB Workgroup at our January meeting & Amerigroup’s Health Equity Task Force.

[Anita Sulaiman]

Hi Mylinh,

Thank you for your interest & for wanting to help get word out. Your voices are needed at the table.

Below is the email that went out to Coalition members. Upon registration, a confirmation along with an event program with further information will be sent to you.

Let us know please if you have more questions.

Washington Patient Safety Coalition’s Health Equity, Stigma & Bias Workgroup continues its work on Mental Health, refocusing on racism, a top concern among Coalition members

Join your colleagues at our Safe Table to examine the force that is racism, particularly in healthcare. We will delve into its connection with mental health &, in so doing, take the veil off stigma & bias surrounding these important issues.

HESBW is creating a safe space to meaningfully engage in a candid conversation about our current health systems & its weaknesses, many of which were highlighted in recent years by the pandemic. We will look at how these insidious phenomena work & discuss why it is vital to understand them to eliminate stigma so as to promote health equity & improve patient safety as well as quality of life for people impacted by racism.

Impact of Racism: A Serious Threat to the Public’s Health

From CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention):

Racism – both interpersonal & structural – negatively affects the mental & physical health of millions of people, preventing them from attaining their highest level of health, & consequently, affecting the health of our nation.

The data show that racial & ethnic minority groups throughout the US experience higher rates of illness & death across a wide range of health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, & heart disease, when compared to their White counterparts. Additionally, the life expectancy of non-Hispanic/Black Americans is four years lower than that of White Americans.

These health disparities underscore the urgent need to address systemic racism as a root cause of racial & ethnic health inequities & a core element of our public health efforts. Racism also deprives our nation & the scientific & medical community of the full breadth of talent, expertise, & perspectives needed to best address racial & ethnic health disparities.

The Enormity of Racism & Its Relationship with Physical & Mental Health

From APHA (American Public Health Association):
According to a study by the National Institute on Minority Health & Health Disparities, racial & ethnic health disparities cost the US economy $451 billion in 2018 alone.
Age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality data shows that, compared to white Americans, Black Americans die from COVID-19 at a rate 58% higher; Pacific Islander Americans at a rate 63% higher; Latino Americans at a rate 65% higher; & Indigenous Americans at a rate 96 % higher.
Compared to white women, American Indian/Alaskan Native women are 2.2 times more likely & Black women 2.8 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.
“Weathering” describes how the stress from coping with chronic toxic stress, from structural & interpersonal racism & bias, over a lifetime causes physiological changes. The result is accelerated aging & increased risk of chronic diseases & other adverse health outcomes, including premature death.
Fatal police violence accounts for approximately 8% of total homicide deaths each year. On average, unarmed Black adults are approximately 3.5 times more likely to be shot by the police than unarmed white adults (& up to 20 times more likely in some US counties). Individuals who have been victimized by police experience higher rates of PTSD, & the communities where people experience & witness police violence suffer higher rates of depression, anxiety, anger, fear, lack of trust, & other psychological problems.

*****

You are invited to attend our Safe Table with your colleagues. The Washington Patient Safety Coalition’s HESBW will facilitate this critical conversation, led by Workgroup Chair, Anita Sulaiman.

Why Attend
• Build recognition of the problem/impact of racism & its connection with mental health.
• Help break down stigma & bias around racism & mental health.
• Find support for dealing with issues of racism & mental health.
• Be an advocate for a health system that pays equal attention to physical & mental health.
• Share experiences & best practices with your peers through candid discussion.
• Network & make new connections.
• Coordinate efforts, collaborate, & build new partnerships.
• Be part of the solution. Learn how you can join the effort to strengthen our health, especially mental health, delivery system, & improve healthcare throughout Washington.

Who should attend
Healthcare providers & administrators, health equity leaders, patient safety & quality leaders; managers charged with ensuring staff well-being & addressing performance-impacting issues.

Referrals
If you know others who might like to attend, please pass this on or send their email address to Steve Levy, Executive Director, WPSC (slevy@qualityhealth.org).

Registration & Questions
PLEASE RSVP BY emailing wpsc@qualityhealth.org by November 6, 2023. Include:
Name
Title
Organization
Email

Details
Topic: Racism In Healthcare and its Relationship with Mental Health
Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Time: Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Venue: Virtual, protected Zoom Video Conference. Log-in instructions are distributed upon RSVP.

[Anita Sulaiman]

Thank you once again to the featured artists for sharing their inspiring works of art & helping to make Art Speaks possible.

Here is feedback from one of them, Tahira Naqvi, Bleed Joy artist:
“Thanks so much for featuring my art!!!!!! It is highly encouraging. And it gives me a sense of empowerment to talk about mental health issues & how art can help.”

We love her heartfelt message. Art IS powerful.

If you or someone you know has artwork to share, we would love to feature you & your creation. Please contact us at: slevy@qualityhealth.org.

Thank you for visiting ASBW’s Discussion Board!

[Anita Sulaiman]

So excited to build community through these Discussion Boards! Please feel free to ask questions or start a conversation on these forums.

Did you know that WPSC, in collaboration with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), has something called the StigmaFree Pledge?

It is part of the StigmaFree In WA Initiative spearheaded by the Addressing Stigma & Bias Workgroup (ASBW).

Need more information or help locating the correct webpage? Contact WPSC at: slevy@qualityhealth.org

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