Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 15, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 15 H E A L T H C A R E F O C U S umassmemorial.org/appointment 855-UMASS-MD (855-862-7763), Monday – Friday, 7 am to 8 pm Schedule care from anywhere. 24/7 ONLINE SCHEDULING For both current and new patients, our website allows 24/7 access to hundreds of primary care providers and a growing list of specialists. So, you can find a doctor and schedule an appointment all from the comfort of … anywhere. UMass Memorial – Community Healthlink | UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital UMass Memorial – Marlborough Hospital | UMass Memorial Medical Center | UMass Memorial Medical Group reluctant to get early screenings for prostate cancer despite their higher prevalence rates, Sokoloff said. Anne Fine, the vice president of behavioral health at the Worcester agency YOU Inc., has seen a lag in some populations to mental health stigmas that otherwise have lessened. "e value placed on treatment and the value of mental health services still varies greatly across cultures," she said. At Community Healthlink, Dr. Jennifer Bradford, who works with a largely homeless population, has found stigmas around mental health to lead to some patients not wanting to acknowledge an illness, nevermind taking prescription drugs for it. Others may prefer to turn to a clergy member or take other routes not involving modern Western medicine or psychotherapy. Social determinants Such factors add a newer element to what the medical community calls social determinants for health. ose factors, which have been known for far longer in health care, include potential causes for more health issues, such as lower incomes and educational attain- ment, access to housing and transpor- tation, and social support. Ethnicity also has a role. Asians, for example, were found to have better health overall than the general population, and Hispanics and blacks worse, according to a 2016 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation of California. Black adults were found to have higher HIV rates, and Native Americans had higher rates of alcohol or drug dependence or abuse. Black and Hispanic populations are less likely to have health coverage, according to the Census. At Saint Vincent Hospital, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sowmya Viswana- than has adjusted proactive screening to better account for both genetic factors and a relunctance from some to go to the doctor. "Culturally, some feel that to go to the doctor means 'I have a problem' and they don't want to admit they have a problem," she said. Understanding the nature of the problem A growing awareness and acknowl- edgement of racial and ethnic factors has not come with any conclusions for what exactly causes them. Local doc- tors and those who've studied the topic have pointed to the harmful effects of immigrants adopting high-fat Ameri- can diets or not knowing where to turn for health care – or being able to afford it – when adjusting to a new life here. e American Heart Association and others issued new guidelines last No- vember calling ethnicity a risk factor for U.S. populations for the first time. With a growing awareness, treating a patient can be far different today. Among religious differences, Ortho- dox Jews and Jehovah's Witnesses are known for particular views on health procedures such as an avoidance of blood transfusions. As for variations among countries, UMass Medical School has a resource guide for import- ant differences doctors should know before treating patients from countries with larger populations here. "You have to be prepared and open and compassionate and see the world from their belief system," said Naheed Usmani, a pediatric doctor at UMass. Language remains a strong factor. Of the 10 largest immigrant groups in Worcester, only Ghaniaians speak English as their primary language. At the Family Health Center of Worcester, the staff is able to speak more than 50 languages to talk with patients. Doctors describe language barriers as both time consuming and compli- cating. Patients are most comfortable expressing their feelings in their own language, Fine said. "It's really hard to express what they need to express in a secondary lan- guage," she said. "Mental illness is taboo in a lot of cultures," said Dr. Jennifer Bradford at Community Healthlink in Worcester. W

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