Inequality And Injustice In Health Care In The US

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A Call for Compassion Martin Luther King Jr. was quoted as saying “of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman” (PHNP, 2014). Almost 50 years later, this quote is still very relevant today, which is absurd in terms of how advanced US medicine is compared to other countries. But unlike other countries, our healthcare system is biased in terms of the quality and access you are able to receive based on your socioeconomic status. African Americans in the US have some of the worst healthcare outcomes compared to Caucasians, and the care they receive is usually inferior in terms of quality. As Christians, we are called to intervene and work with this vulnerable population to help them get the care they need. …show more content…
In this case the church needs to be the voice for those whose opinions and needs are not heard. The Christian church provides values that guide how we should lead our lives, and this issue is in violation of certain practices. The ones that stick out the most include justice and neighbor love. Bryan Massingale talks about racism and what makes up the “soul” of African American culture, which he says is struggle (Massingale, 2010). All Americans realize the truth in this single word to describe how African Americans struggled in this country to earn their freedom and equality. The issue of not having equal healthcare is a step in the wrong direction in the ongoing struggle of inadvertent racism in our society. There is no justice in the care that certain individuals receive and little is being done to correct it. In class we discussed how neighbor love goes beyond just treating others how you want to be treated, it extends to providing basic needs and not having boundaries; neither of which are upheld in our current healthcare environment. Not much is being done in this case because people who can afford better care do not have the experience or can envision what this type of injustice is …show more content…
With compassion comes a compelling need to act on a situation, which is clearly evident in the plethora of research available. With all the literature out there on the subject, there is a drive to want to try and help the struggling African American population because everyone deserves a right to basic, quality healthcare. That is where the lamenting comes into play. Not only does one have to be compelled to act, being part of that movement with those people or directly working with them will help move the cause forward. I think current responses are partially successful, like opening clinics in neighborhoods that did not have any closer resources that may also be lower in cost. The one element that may be missing is the compassion piece. The individuals implementing these clinics or initiatives need to dig deep and connect on an empathetic level to be able to fully understand the right relationship in the situation. One example that has been successful in both helping the African American population with healthcare needs and doing that using right relationships is the Proviso East school based health program. Proviso East High School is located in the west side of the city in a predominantly African American area. A few years ago, the high school implemented a school based health system where the students have access to a clinic that
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