Baylor Scott & White doctor brings awareness during National Minority Health Month
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – April is National Minority Health Month and Baylor Scott & White says it’s time to build awareness about improving the health of minority communities.
Dr. Grace Joseph, a medical oncologist and hematologist at Baylor Scott & White, says health disparities persist among racial and ethnic minority groups as they suffer from common diseases.
“Heart diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, and clearly I can not stop there. Breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer,” Joseph said.
She says it’s important to bring awareness to why minority groups are impacted.
”Access is not just because they can’t get to the doctors but also lack of knowledge,” Joseph said. “We need to educate our communities more, tell them about the silent killers, some of the symptoms to look at. Also to have access so the areas that we don’t have clinics nearby, we can be able to have clinics in those areas so patients will be able to access that.”
Joseph says she feels diversity within hospitals is important to make patients feel comfortable coming to the doctor before a major problem arises.
“We do know that most people do go to see clinicians who look like them or who feel will understand them and so having that diversity also, different minorities to access healthcare,” she said.
Joseph says one of the ways they are bridging that is by having virtual visits and telephone visits. They are also working to build clinics in many different areas to be more accessible.
