Nearly everyone has been touched by cancer. For some of us it may be a family member, friend, or coworker. Others have experienced a heartbreaking diagnosis themselves. During the last few years, I helped my friend and hair stylist navigate the healthcare system after she found a lump in her breast.
It was the second time the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency, rated our South Los Angeles-based hospital in the top echelons of hospitals nationwide. We are one of the few to serve a predominantly safety-net population.
Small community hospitals can do many things – set broken bones, treat wounds, prescribe medication – but there are some things we just can’t do. We are not – nor should we be – a cancer care center. We do not do open-heart surgery. We are not a children’s hospital. Instead, our job is to assess each patient and – if the patient’s condition exceeds what we can provide in treatment – move them on to a specialty hospital that can provide that treatment.
A good friend gave me a book that I keep in my office as a source of inspiration – “The Children” by David Halberstam. It’s the story of eight college students – including John Lewis – who helped lead the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
The Black Women Legends Awards will be presented to five accomplished African Americans at the “Power, Leadership and Influence of the Black Woman” luncheon on April 15. The achievements of the recipients are equaled by the attainments of the women for whom the Black Women Legends Awards are named – described as trailblazers who broke down barriers.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry and Dr. Elaine Batchlor are three Black Americans who blazed trails in the fields of health and medicine.
Every week, women come to our hospital to give birth who have not had recommended prenatal care during their pregnancy.
On May 23rd, 2022, Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of Martin Luther King Community Healthcare (MLKCH) , held a private roundtable discussion to share their concerns regarding care for mothers and babies in the South Los Angeles Community
Through the state’s new CalAIM program, virtually all California residents will have access to health insurance.
Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) introduced AB 2426, to address health equity in the South Los Angeles community. This bill would build off of AB 2599 (Bass, 2009) and cover hospital-based outpatient services provided in the emergency department.
African Americans know that color matters in regard to almost everything in this country. Medical care is no exception.
If we don’t get vaccinated, I foresee repeat cycles of preventable deaths, business and school closures, and potentially even more dangerous variants of the virus in our future. Unfortunately, black and brown communities that have been the hardest hit by Covid are now lagging behind in taking advantage of the amazing science that led to our Covid vaccines.
In honor of Black History Month, the state of California in partnership with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation has launched a “COVID-19 Community Champions” campaign to recognize COVID-19 warriors who have made significant contributions in their communities.
To help meet the increased demand for highly-trained nurses and essential healthcare workers in medically-underserved areas like South Los Angeles, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH) announced it has received a half million dollar grant from Bank of America to expand its healthcare worker career programs.
Assemblymember Mike Gipson introduced CEO of Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, Dr. Elaine Batchlor, MD, MPH, and Vice President of Population Health at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH), Dr. Jorge Reyno, MD, whom both shared new data regarding pandemic and their recommendations on getting the COVID-19 vaccine.