Mass. doc on disparity in access to care during COVID

JESSICA: 60’S, THAT AISLL WE NEED TO HEA R.AS WE MARKED TWO YEARS SINCE T OFFICIAL START OF THE PANDEMIC, ONE THING IS CLEAR. THE COVID CRISIS FURTHER EXPOSES THE INFULPA DIVIDE IN TERMS OF ETH MEDICAL CARE IN THE U.. .SMARIA: DR. SIMONE WILDES IANS INFECTIOUS DISEASES SPECIALIST AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. YOU RECENTLY WROTE A POWERLFU ESSAY ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND YOU SHARE A STORY ABOUT A PHONE CALL YOU GOT FROM A FRIEND DURINGHE T VACCINE ROLLOUT. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOU SHARE THAT WITH US. >> AT THE IMPETUS OF THE STORY, WHICH REALLY PUSHED ME TO WRITE THIS ARTICLE WAS I GOT A CALL FROM ONE OF MY FRIENDS, TELLING ME SHE HAD HER ELDERLY GRANDMOTHER WHO NEEDED TO BE VACCINATED. BUT SHE WAS SCARED ABOUT TAKING HER TO THE MASS VAX SITES AND SHE HAD A LOT OF UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT MADE HER REALLY WORRIED. SHE THOUGHT I HAD ALL OF THE ANSWERS BUT UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT. IT REALLY DEMA ME THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE. YES, THINGS VEHA CHANGED, BUT IT WAS PAINFUL AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC WHEN WE DID NOT HAVE ALL OF THE PROGRAMS IN PLACE. JESSA:IC WE KNOW THAT ACCESS TO RECA IS A STRUGGLE FOR MANY FAMILIES OF LOCOR. YOU’VE BEEN MEETING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS ABOUT THIS. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? ABOUT CLOSING THAT GAP? >> I CONTINUE TO MTEE WITH THESE FFDIERENT GROUPS BECAUSE THE WORK CONTINUES. I REALLY DO NOT WANT USO T THINK THAT THE PANDEMIC IS DONE, NOT TO GET INTO THESE COMMUNITI.ES WHAT I KEEP HEARING OVER AGAIN IS ACCESS IS A INSSUE. I FOUND TTHA THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTINUE TO HAVE NO ACCESS OR LIMITED ACCESS. ON THE OTHER SIDE WE HAVE THOSE WHO HAVE ACCESS BUT IT IS NOT TILYME ACCESS, WHICH REALLY POINTS US IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO. NOW THAT WE ARE OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE WORKING. MAA:RI THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM, THIS HAS BNEE BROUGHT INTO SHARPER FOCUS BY THE PANDEMIC. WHAT CAN BE NEDO TO ADDRESS IT, AND YOUR EXPERT OPINION WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP? >> THAT IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH US FOR A WHILE. FOR ME IS A MULTIFACTORIAL APPROACH. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT TRU,ST ACCESS, AND INFORMATION. A QUICK EXAMPLE, DURING THE PANDEMIC, THAT WAS SOMETHING WIDELY UDSE BUT IT WAS NOT NECESSARILY AVAILABLE TO ALL COMMUNITIES. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE ISSUES WE CAN WORK ON. THE KEY THING THAT I WANT TO LEEAV IS WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE CARE THAT WE GIVTOE THOSE IN THESE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND WE NEED TO GET A BLUEPRINT THAT CAN GET THAT STARTED. MAA:RI THE ACCESS FOR SURE. WE APPRECI

Mass. doc on disparity in access to care during COVID

Updated: 5:25 PM EST Mar 11, 2022

Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious diseases specialist at South Shore Health, talks about how COVID exposed the painful divide when it comes to medical care access in the U.S.

Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious diseases specialist at South Shore Health, talks about how COVID exposed the painful divide when it comes to medical care access in the U.S.