Lancaster County group aims to eliminate health care disparities
An organization formed by three Black women is making a difference in minority communities in Lancaster County. Patients R Waiting is a nonprofit organization that aims to eliminate health disparities by increasing diversity in medicine.For Dr. Sharee Livingston, the OB-GYN Department Chair at UMPC Lititz Hospital and a Patients R Waiting board member, addressing problems people of color face is not just a professional issue, it is a personal one.”As a Black woman, a Black OB-GYN, these issues of health disparity are important. I see it day to day and recognizing these disparities, I can’t turn away,” Livingston said.According to the organization’s website, Patients R Waiting focuses on increasing the pipeline of minority clinicians, making the pipeline of minority clinicians less leaky and supporting minority clinicians in practice.One of the ways they do that is by encouraging students of color to pursue a career in health care through a twelve-week program. The effort allows high school juniors and seniors to understand concepts of health equity.The organization also aims to increase the perinatal workforce through a program called the Diversifying Doulas initiative.”When COVID happened, we as two black OB/GYN females, knew that the maternal mortality and morbidity that exists in medicine regarding Black women would widen,” Livingston said. “Black women are actually three to four times more likely to die in childbirth, and we call that maternal mortality than other white counterparts. If COVID is widening the gap of health disparities, what will this do to our pregnant people? That is why we created the diversifying doulas initiative.”Through the program, Livingston said they can train more doulas of color so that more pregnant Black and Latinx women have access to them got free.The organization also has several other efforts including a mental health initiative and events that focus on bringing COVID-19 vaccines to communities of color.
An organization formed by three Black women is making a difference in minority communities in Lancaster County.
Patients R Waiting is a nonprofit organization that aims to eliminate health disparities by increasing diversity in medicine.
For Dr. Sharee Livingston, the OB-GYN Department Chair at UMPC Lititz Hospital and a Patients R Waiting board member, addressing problems people of color face is not just a professional issue, it is a personal one.
“As a Black woman, a Black OB-GYN, these issues of health disparity are important. I see it day to day and recognizing these disparities, I can’t turn away,” Livingston said.
According to the organization’s website, Patients R Waiting focuses on increasing the pipeline of minority clinicians, making the pipeline of minority clinicians less leaky and supporting minority clinicians in practice.
One of the ways they do that is by encouraging students of color to pursue a career in health care through a twelve-week program. The effort allows high school juniors and seniors to understand concepts of health equity.
The organization also aims to increase the perinatal workforce through a program called the Diversifying Doulas initiative.
“When COVID happened, we as two black OB/GYN females, knew that the maternal mortality and morbidity that exists in medicine regarding Black women would widen,” Livingston said. “Black women are actually three to four times more likely to die in childbirth, and we call that maternal mortality than other white counterparts. If COVID is widening the gap of health disparities, what will this do to our pregnant people? That is why we created the diversifying doulas initiative.”
Through the program, Livingston said they can train more doulas of color so that more pregnant Black and Latinx women have access to them got free.
The organization also has several other efforts including a mental health initiative and events that focus on bringing COVID-19 vaccines to communities of color.