EDUCATION MEMBER STABBING OUT, ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE SEEKING 1/5 TERM IN
THE SENATE. THERE’S A PLAN TO
IMPROVE HEALTH EQUITY HERE IN
MICHIGAN AT THE START OF THE
PANDEMIC, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ARE BEING
HIT HARDER BY THE VIRUS. ALL THE
TIME IN HIS LIVE THIS AFTERNOON
AT WAYNE STATE, WITH THE RESULTS
FROM A TASK FORCE THAT HAS SPENT
THE LAST TWO YEARS TRYING TO FIX
THIS, PAULA. HI, KAREN. HI,
EVERYBODY REALLY INTERESTING
STUFF. FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT
TO KIND OF SET THE TABLE FOR YOU
AND WHERE I AM. THIS IS THE
INTEGRATED BIOSCIENCE CENTER AT
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
CONFERENCE HELD HERE TODAY,
OSTENSIBLY BECAUSE CERTAINLY
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY HAD A
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MICHIGAN
CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE ON RACIAL
DISPARITIES HAD TO READ IT LONG
NAME LOTS OF INFORMATION. BUT AT
THE END OF THE DAY WHAT THE
WHITMER ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING
IS YOU KNOW WHAT CORONAVIRUS BAD
THING, BUT THEY SURE LEARNED A
LOT. WOW THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
YOU GUYS REALLY DOING THAT. OKAY
RIGHT DOING A MODEL THAT WORKS
AT A TIME WHEN THE STATE WAS
DESPERATE FOR SOLUTIONS AND
THINGS THAT WORKED. DIXON IS
STARTING A MOVEMENT. YES, SHE IS
. MOVEMENT IS WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO
ARE HOMEBOUND, NECESSARILY GET
OUT, GET THEIR SHOTS AND WE HAVE
TO GO AND GIVE THEIR SHOTS TO
THEM. THIS IS VIDEO OF
HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN THE
HOMES OF SENIORS FIGHTING THE
PANDEMIC HOUSEHOLD AT A TIME,
AND IT TURNS OUT THAT MODEL
WORKS TO CLOSE RACE. HEALTH
DISPARITIES ACROSS THE BOARD. WE
ARE NOT SAYING THAT RACE IS A
RISK FACTOR. THIS IS NOT ABOUT
BLAMING A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
QUITE CANDIDLY. RACE IS NOT THE
RISK FACTOR. RACISM IS THE RISK
FACTOR COVID IS AND WAS BAD,
REALLY, REALLY BAD IN THE EARLY
DAYS BEFORE WE KNEW WHAT IT WAS
AND HOW TO POSSIBLY HOLD A NOVEL
CORONAVIRUS AT BAY. LOTS OF
PEOPLE LOST LOTS OF PEOPLE,
INCLUDING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
GARLAND GILCHRIST. I LOST 27
PEOPLE TO COVID 19. IN MY LIFE
LIKE LIKE REAL RELATIONSHIPS, MY
BASKETBALL COACHES, MY PASTOR.
THE OLDEST MEMBER OF MY FAMILY
ON MY FATHER’S SIDE, INDIANA
SOLOMON OF THE DETROIT AREA ON
AGING I LOST 21 PEOPLE THAT I
KNEW THE NATIONAL NUMBERS TOLD A
TERRIBLE TALE OF MICHIGAN WITH
HIS HIGH AS A 30% INFECTION RATE
IN SOME PLACES WHERE MINORITIES
ONLY MADE UP 14% OF THE
POPULATION. AND SO THAT IS WHY
THE WHITMER ADMINISTRATION
LAUNCHED A RACIAL DISPARITIES
TASK FORCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHY
COVID WAS SO PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS AND DEADLY TO
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. ONE OF THE
THINGS WE FOUND IN THIS WAS
NATIONALLY. IS THAT MORE
INDIVIDUALS OF COLOR HAD
EMPLOYMENT IN THE TYPES OF JOBS
THAT MADE THEM MORE FRONT FACING
THAT MADE THEM HAVE MORE
INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC. SO
IN FOOD SERVICE, FOR EXAMPLE IN
HEALTHCARE, AND IT TURNS OUT
THAT IN LAUNCHING THAT TASK
FORCE AND MODALITIES OF CARE
THAT ADDRESS THOSE THINGS THAT
AFFECTED MINORITIES MOST NOT
ONLY WAS THIS STATE ABLE TO
CREATE A MODEL OF CARE THAT
REDUCED DEATHS BUT ALSO
ADDRESSED THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE
OTHER THINGS THAT WE’RE KILLING
MINORITIES. THE DETROIT AREA ON
AGING ALSO USED ITS ESTABLISHED
IS TRUSTED CONNECTIONS WITH THE
ELDERLY IN NUMEROUS COMMUNITIES
TO GO INTO HOMES WITH VACCINES
AND HANDLE EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE
. WHAT WE ALSO LAYERED IN IS
THAT WE SERVED EVERYONE IN THE
HOME EVERY ADULT THAT WAS 18 AND
UP. SO NOT JUST SENIORS, BUT
THEIR CAREGIVERS AND THEN THEIR
FAMILY BECAUSE WE WANTED TO
PROTECT THE WHOLE HOUSEHOLD.
OKAY SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT
TASK FORCE? WELL AS OF TODAY,
PRETTY MUCH GOES AWAY AS FAR AS
IT BEING IT’S OWN ENTITY.
HOWEVER IT REALLY DOES SPREAD
THE THINGS THEY LEARNED THE DAD
OF DATA COLLECTION. THOSE KINDS
OF THINGS WILL REALLY SPREAD OUT
THROUGHOUT THE STATE IN
DIFFERENT ARTERIES AND IN
DIFFERENT WAYS. COMING UP AT
FIVE, THOUGH, I DO WANT YOU TO
STAY WITH ME BECAUSE THERE’S AN
INTERESTING JUXTAPOSITION HERE
SIMPLY BECAUSE EVERYONE KNEW
THERE WERE HEALTH DISPARITIES.
THAT WAS NO BIG SURPRISE, BUT IT
WAS THOSE HEALTH DISPARITIES
THAT WERE ACTUALLY ADDRESSED AND
THE THINGS THAT THEY LEARNED
THAT REALLY WILL BE SPREAD OUT
THROUGHOUT THE SPACE THE STATE
TO CLOSE THOSE DISPARITIES. SO I
HOPE YOU’LL JOIN ME. STAY WITH
US UNTIL FIVE O’CLOCK, KAREN