< Previous28 | TALK MAGAZINE • FALL 2023 The worst statistics show Latinos are approxi- mately 30 percent of the nation’s population but almost sixty percent of prisoners. That means one in six Latino men will be incarcerated at some point in their life. That’s not good for Latinos or for the general population. But knowing the statistics is the first step in addressing the underlying causes, includ- ing issues of employment and education. Add to that Spotlight PA’s recent report that Black and Hispanic drivers are more likely to be stopped and searched than white drivers, and you get a picture of persistent racial profiling that needs to be addressed in the commonwealth, if not across the nation. Statistics are important. They can help dispel myths and correct misinformation. And data is essential in establishing facts and pinpointing solutions. That’s why Colon rightly has made a priority establishing a Latino Research Center as part of the PA Latino Convention, held last week at the Harrisburg Hilton. Such data is essential in not only addressing policing and criminal justice issues, but it can help find solutions to two other major challenges for many Latino families: healthcare and affordable housing. Accurate statistics can help healthcare professionals better serve the Latino commu- nities through providing educational and other resources to prevent as well as treat illnesses. Information on rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes should be easily accessible and targeted to our region. And accurate data also can help address the lack of affordable housing in the urban centers along Highway 322 where most Latinos live. At least government officials will have the facts to help convince developers to build affordable housing in urban areas and fewer hundred thou- sand dollar-condos that push out low-income families. LATINO NEWS continued from page 13 has the fourth-highest number of higher educa- tion institutions in the country, and they’ll likely compete for an undergraduate population that’s expected to fall sharply in the coming years. COLLEGE NEWS continued from page 5 justed odds ratio of 3.46 (95% CI, 1.45-8.25) of accepting new Medicaid patients, more than any other racial or ethnic group within the physician workforce. Third, no significant associations were found between the total proportion of PCPs and life expectancy of Black populations or mortality rates among Black populations, although there was a small decrease in the Black-White mortality disparity rate. This not only underscores the importance of Black physicians to the health and well-being of Black patients, but points to the continued chasm between non-Black physicians and Black patients that has been created by generations of structural racism, medical exper- imentation and other abuses, clinician bias, and subsequent patient distrust and disengagement.7 Overcoming this chasm, establishing trustworthy institutions, and engaging with and truly seeing Black patients in their full humanity will take an extraordinary, transformative, and sustained commitment of time, infrastructure, and action. Last, more than 50% of US counties were ineligible at each of the 3 study time points because they did not have a single Black PCP in the entire county. During the same study period, 90.9% to 94.1% of US counties had at least 1 physician of any race or ethnicity. In addition, none of the counties had proportions of Black PCPs that were equivalent to the proportion of Black individuals in the population. Given the extraordinary association between Black PCP representation and population outcomes for Black communities, it should be a national pri- ority to ensure that Black populations in the US have access to Black PCPs within their counties and to increase the representation of Black PCPs within existing counties. This study has brought to light the impor- tance of Black PCP representation to public health outcomes among Black populations across the US. Increasing this representation must become a multifaceted national strategy to improve health and increase equity among Black populations in the US. HEALTH NEWS continued from page 14-15 their lifetime, but they are at increased risk as compared to the general population. These pa- tients are now called “previvors” and are eligible for increased screening, such as breast MRI, in addition to mammograms. Some even consider preventative surgeries to get ahead of cancer. Men can also inherit a genetic predisposition and have an increased risk for developing male breast cancer or prostate cancer and should be equally aware of this risk. Another emerging technology is called mul- ticancer early detection, or a liquid biopsy. The first of these new precision medicine testing op- tions came onto the market last year and is com- prised of a single blood draw. The test screens for more than 50 different cancers by looking at pat- terns of small fragments of DNA that have been released into the bloodstream, called circulating cell-free tumor DNA. This new technology can screen for cancer before it becomes symptomatic. However, it is not yet covered by insurance, but data is promising and large clinical trials study- ing the implementation in population-based screening are underway. This screen will become a great option for anyone who is at higher risk by age, family history, known hereditary cancer predisposition or significant environmental ex- posure. There is considerable excitement for the test to achieve insurance coverage status so that it may be equitably accessed by all patients in the near future. Finally, new imaging technology may help make a difference as well. Black women tend to have denser breasts than white women, and having high breast density increases your risk of developing breast cancer up to six-fold. That’s because it is difficult for regular mammograms to identify cancer in the background of dense breast tissue: it makes looking for the cancer like search- ing for a needle that blends into the haystack. New advances in the use of artificial intelligence in breast imaging can help train computers to find these hidden breast cancers and improve patient outcomes. Three steps to help prevent breast cancer or increase early detection and survival of breast cancer: 1. Know your family history. It is important to share and discuss the family history of cancer no matter how difficult the conversation. This information will empower family members to screen and be proactive with their physicians. Update your primary care provider if someone in your family has a new cancer diagnosis. 2. If you have a family history of breast cancer, especially in multiple generations or onset of cancer younger than age 50, see a genetic counselor and consider hereditary cancer genetic testing. 3. Stay on top of your breast cancer screening. Ensure you are getting your mammograms on a regular basis and that you are discussing screening with your primary care provider once a year. Cancer screening, while some- times scary, is meant to empower us with the ability to catch and treat cancer early when there is the highest likelihood of survival. Resources: American Cancer Society:, https://www.cancer. org | Komen Foundation:, https://www.komen. org | African American Breast Cancer Alliance:, https://aabcainc.org | Sisters Network, https:// www.sistersnetworkinc.org | Find a genetic coun- selor near you:, https://findageneticcounselor. nsgc.org/?reload=timezone African American and Breast Cancer BLACK PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANSFebruary 23, 2024 Hilton Garden Inn Pitt sburgh University Place 3454 Forbes Avenue, Pitt sburgh, PA 15213Talk Magazine P.O. Box 143 Monroeville, PA 15146-0143 Phone: 412.823.4007 Email: info@talkmagazineonline.com The LJS Group P.O. Box 143 Monroeville, PA 15146 Change Service Requested PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PITTSBURGH, PA PERMIT NO. 5673Next >