National Minority Health Month: A Great Time to Catch Up on Care

April 9, 2024

National Minority Health Month takes place every April and is an initiative aimed at promoting awareness about improving healthcare in minority communities, including Black, Latino and Native American populations. The goal is to address disparities in healthcare outcomes and access to care that disproportionately affect these groups.

“No doctor can ever know everything about another person’s experiences and how their cultural identity has shaped their experiences,” says Stephanie Cherestal, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and assistant attending psychologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Westchester Behavioral Health. “But the more we are willing to learn from our patients or our clients about what their experiences are, the better we will be able to serve them.”

The Pandemic Worsened Health Disparities

It’s well-known that health outcomes and likelihood of developing certain conditions can vary based on different groups of people. Osteoporosis, for example, is more common in white women than in Black women, and prostate cancer is more common in Black men than in white or Asian men.

Research also shows that the COVID-19 pandemic only worsened disparities, with an estimated 1.63 million excess deaths of Black Americans in the past two decades. That’s 80 million years of potential life lost to violence, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and COVID-19.

Preventive Care Is Key

Annual wellness visits to your primary care provider (PCP) can help detect signs of potential health conditions before they become severe. Many of these conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, can be prevented if you make lifestyle changes or start medications in time.

During your wellness visit, your PCP can run simple tests to check for:

High blood pressure, which can contribute to heart or kidney disease
High blood sugar, a sign of potential diabetes
High cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease
Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV

Older adults, especially women, should also be screened for osteoporosis and may need a follow-up bone density scan.

You also need regular cancer screenings. Minority populations often have higher rates of death from cancer due to late detection, even in cases where a cancer type is more common in white people. Detecting cancer when it is in its early stages means it is more likely to be treatable. Talk to your PCP about when to start screening for:

Breast cancer. Women 40 and older need annual or biannual mammograms, but some women may start earlier screening due to risk factors.
Cervical cancer. Women ages 21-29 should have a pap test every 3 years. Women ages 30-65 should have a pap test every 3 years, or an HPV test every 5 years, or co-testing (pap test and HPV test together) every 5.
Colorectal cancer. Starting at age 45, men and women need a colonoscopy to check for colorectal cancer. If results are normal, you can go 10 years between screenings. If you are at high risk for the disease, talk to your PCP about starting screening at 40 or earlier.
Lung cancer. Men and women 50 and older who are or used to be heavy smokers should consider getting annual low-dose CT scans to check for lung cancer.
Prostate cancer. Men should talk with their PCP about their risk for prostate cancer and when to start screening. Some men may want to start at 40, while others may wait until 45 or 50.

Know Your Risk Factors

Although not every risk factor for heart disease or cancer is preventable, many lifestyle factors can be adjusted to lower your risk.

Eat a heart healthy diet. Limit fat, red meat and sugar, and eat plenty of whole grains and vegetables. Switching to the Mediterranean diet or going vegetarian lowers your risk for many conditions, including colon cancer.
Get more exercise. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise weekly, and at least two days with strength training workouts.
Limit alcohol. The less alcohol you drink, the better it is for your health. The CDC recommends no more than one glass of wine per day for women and no more than two glasses for men.
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancer.
Quit smoking. Tobacco use raises your risk of heart disease, stroke, and many kinds of cancer.

Your primary care provider can work with you to make a plan for lifestyle changes that stick.

Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health

Mental health care is just as important as physical health care. But statistics show minority communities are less likely to seek mental health care. In some communities, there may be a stigma around reaching out for help, especially for men. Seeking mental health care is not weak. If you’re experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, talking to a specialist can help you learn new coping skills.

“There’s a growing body of research that has repeatedly demonstrated the negative neurobiological impacts of ongoing socioeconomic inequalities and systemic injustice,” Dr. Cherestal says. “There are different types of talk therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, that can help people who are struggling with racial stress and trauma.”

Weill Cornell Medicine Is Working Toward Change

While taking steps to improve your own health is important, racial health disparities are also a systemic problem. Improving awareness of needed health screenings and preventive care is only a small part of the problem. Weill Cornell Medicine is dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse staff, as well as a diverse student body in the Medical College. We are also committed to ongoing steps to reduce barriers to care.

“Providing culturally responsive care goes hand in hand with providing optimal patient-centered care,” Dr. Cherestal says. “I believe that tailoring a treatment plan involves looking at all aspects of a patient’s identity, because we can't look at these symptoms in a vacuum.”

Want to get caught up on your screenings or vaccines this month? Weill Cornell Medicine makes it easy. Find a doctor.