SAFETY EXPERT TROOPER STEVE. THIS IS NEWS. 6 AT 09:00AM GETTING RESULTS.
>> THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON ISSUES
WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
>> JULIE: LOOKING AT HOW FAR
WE’VE COME AND HOW FAR WE
STILL HAVE TO GO. THERE ARE
MANY AREAS OF HEALTH CARE FOR
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THE
IMPROVEMENT. IN FACT, RESEARCH
HAS FOUND LACK OF QUALITY CARE
CONTRIBUTES TO LESS FAVORABLE
OUTCOMES WITH SEVERAL
CONDITIONS, ONE OF WHICH IS
CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN
BLACK BABIES. MORNING ANCHOR
AND HEALTH REPORTER KIRSTIN
O’CONNOR STANDING BY NOW TO
ASK A DOCTOR MORE ON WHY THIS
HAPPENS.
>> BRIDGETT: WHAT CAN BE DONE
TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
>> ASK A DOCTOR IS SPONSORED
BY CAN BE PRIMARY CARE
PROCEEDINGS.
BY CAN BE PRIMARY CARE
PROCEEDINGS. isn’t that dangerous. >> CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS OR
CH. THESE ARE THE MOST COMMON
BIRTH DEFECTS IN THE U.S. WITH
AN ESTIMATED 2.4 MILLION
AMERICANS LIVING WITH DIAGNOSE
CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH
SHOWS THAT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
LIKE WHERE YOU LIVE, WORK OR
PLAY CAN NOT ONLY LIMIT A BABY
BEING DIAGNOSED, BUT ALSO AN
ADULT RECEIVING LIFELONG
QUALITY CARE. SO I SPOKE WITH
DOCTOR KEILA AND LOPEZ, AN
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF
PEDIATRICS DIVISION OF
PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY AT TEXAS
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AND BAYLOR
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ABOUT THIS
PROBLEM.
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ABOUT THIS
PROBLEM. isn’t that dangerous. >> I ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A
RESEARCH STUDY SPECIFICALLY
LOOKING AT HEALTH DISPARITIES
THROUGHOUT THE LIFE SPAN,
STARTING FROM 9 TO 1920 17.
AND WHAT WE FOUND THAT WAS
FROM PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS ALL
THE WAY UNTIL AT LEAST AGE OF
35 THAT THERE REMAINS HEALTH
DISPARITIES, PARTICULARLY FOR
BLACK INFANTS VERSUS WHITE,
INTENSE THROUGHOUT THE
LIFESPAN SUCH THAT THE BLACK
INFANT MORTALITY WAS AT LEAST
10% HIGHER THAN THAT FOR A
WHITE INFANTS. WHAT ARE THE
HOSPITALS THAT ARE NEARBY
AREAS WHERE THERE ARE LARGER
PERCENTAGES OF LOWER-INCOME
INDIVIDUALS OR THAT THAT LIVE
IN AREAS THAT HAVE LESS ACCESS
TO HEART DISEASE CENTERS. AND
SO DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE
AND WHAT YOUR ACCESS IS TO
THESE REALLY EXPERIENCE HURT
CENTERS THAT CAN, OF COURSE,
IMPACT YOUR ULTIMATE OUTCOME.
AND BECAUSE OF LONGSTANDING
STRUCTURAL RACISM, A LOT OF
THE HEART CENTERS, INDIVIDUALS
CAN HAVE ACCESS TO ARE FAR
AWAY FROM THE AREAS THAT
PREDOMINANT LATINO AND AFTER
AMERICANS LIVING THERE.
>> AND DOCTOR LOPEZ SAYS THIS
IS TRUE OF ALL HEALTH
CONDITIONS, BUT ESPECIALLY
WHEN IT COMES TO CH D’S. THE
IMPORTANT THING SHE SAYS IS TO
DO THE RESEARCH AND ADVOCATE
FOR YOURSELF AND THE CARE YOU
DESERVE. NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE
OR WHERE YOU COME FROM.
>> THE AD SELF ADVOCACY REALLY
HAS TO DO WITH IT. GETTING
INFORMED, BECOMING INFORMED
THAT SEAT. HE IS A LIFELONG
LEGION IN UNDERSTANDING WHERE
THE OPTIMAL CARE CAN BE
ACCESSED THROUGHOUT THE
LIFESPAN, DOING THE RESEARCH
ON WHICH PART CENTERS ARE BEST
EQUIPPED TO TAKE CARE OF
CHILDREN. CAN JOE HART LESIONS
AS WELL AS CENTER? THAT IS
SPECIALIZED IN PRENATAL
DIAGNOSES OF CAN TELL HER
DISEASE, THOSE 2 THINGS ALONE
CAN REALLY CHANGE OUTCOMES IN
TERMS OF HOW A PATIENT DOES
FROM THE OUTSET, WHAT WE ARE
ADVOCATING FOR FOR PATIENTS IS
NOT ONLY THAT THE PATIENTS ARE
ABLE TO ACCESS QUALITY CARE
AND HAVE ACCESS TO THESE HEART
CENTERS, BUT ALSO THAT THE
PROVIDERS WHO ARE TAKING CARE
OF THEM DO SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
OF HEALTH SCREENING SO THAT WE
CAN OPTIMIZE OUTCOMES FOR
THESE PATIENTS AS WELL AS
HAVING TRAINING FOR THE
IMPLICIT TRAINING AS THAT. YOU
CAN GET A CHECK YOUR OWN
DIOCESE IN TERMS OF A SINCERE
CARING FOR AS WELL OTHER TYPES
OF TRAINING THAT HELP US TO
BEST CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS FROM
ALL SOCIAL LINES AS
BEST CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS FROM
ALL SOCIAL LINES AS isn’t that dangerous. >> AND THE REASON GREAT
PRENATAL CARE. SO IMPORTANT IS
IF YOUR BABY DOES HAVE A
CONDITION LIKE ACHD THE
EARLIER, THE INTERVENTION, THE
BETTER THE CHANCES FOR
SURVIVAL AND LIVING A NORMAL
LIFE. THE DOCTOR LOPEZ SAYS IF
YOUR BABY IS DIAGNOSED WITH
ACHD, WHILE YOU’RE PREGNANT,
YOU SHOULD NOT PANIC. HAVING
ACHD IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE.
>> THERE ARE MANY, MANY
INDIVIDUALS WORKING TO HEART
DISEASE, LESIONS. THEY LIVE
LONG, PROSPEROUS LIVES. IT IS
NOT AS YOU STATED A DEATH
SENTENCE. AND ONE EXAMPLE THAT
I HAVE TO GIVE BECAUSE THE
OLYMPICS, YOU KNOW, SHAUN IS
AN ADULT IN YOUR HEART
DISEASE. CERTAIN A SURVIVOR,
HE HAS TO CHARGE THE FLOATS.
ONE OF OUR MODERATE, THE
SEVERE LESIONS. HE HAS WON
GOLD MEDALS. HE HAS LIVED A
VERY PROSPEROUS LIFE. I’D SAY
THUS FAR. AND SO HE’S A VERY
GOOD EXAMPLE OF PROSPER
SOMEONE CAN BE AND WHAT
QUALITY BUT SOMEONE CAN LIVE
IF THEY HAVE THE APPROPRIAT
CARE
>> JULIE: DOCTOR LOPEZ
CONTINUED TO SAY THAT THE
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION IS
NOW WORKING ON MORE RESEARCH
TO DETERMINE WHY PEOPLE GET
CONGENITAL HEART DISEASES AS
WELL AS HOW TO IMPROVE THOSE
OUTCOMES FOR ANYONE WHO HAS
THEM AGAIN, AS ALWAYS, IF YOU
HAVE ANY CONCERNS, NOT ALL
HEART DEFECTS ARE DIAGNOSED IN
CHILDREN. SO IT IS POSSIBLE TO
BE DIAGNOSED LATER IN LIFE. IF
YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF SHORT
OF OFTEN OR IF YOU’RE 15,
YOU’RE EXPERIENCING ANY OTHER
KIND OF STRANGE DISCOMFORT.