[HTML1] Kaiser Permanente’s Cultural Competence & Diversity Initiatives
California, it’s the most diverse country on Earth.
True.
So, it shouldn’t surprise you that that California-based Kaiser Permanente was voted by DiversityInc Magazine as No. 1 on their annual list of America’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity.
“Five years ago, Kaiser Permanente was the best-kept secret in diversity management. This modest company’s long history of what it calls ‘diversity, inclusion, innovation and advocacy’ was not well known in corporate America, despite an extremely diverse workforce and management, an emphasis on culturally competent patient care, and deep core values on equality.”
Life Love & Health was founded on a similar mandate in 2003. Christopher Springmann, creator of Life Love & Health, was awarded a Fellowship by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to report on the “Health Disparities Among Women of Color” conference in Washington, D.C.
“There were only two journalists there, the Health Features Editor of Essence magazine and me. Amazingly, the remainder of the Fellowships went unclaimed,” recalls Springmann. “I found the presentations not only fascinating but eye-opening and, at times, startling. The light went on … about how people really make their choices about health. It became apparent that no news organization was telling the American health story based a mix of decision-drivers like culture, ethnicity, age, gender, education, religion, life experience, differing abilities, and economic imperatives. It was one of those moments where an unmet need converged with opportunity.”
Great idea, but how would Springmann reach an audience? “I decided to start a radio show, just like that, because radio travels with people, wherever they live, work and play.” But radio shows are easier said than done and financed, as Springmann was suddenly cast in the unfamiliar role of “independent radio producer,” transitioning quickly out of the advertising and annual report photography business.
“We were fortunate that AARP and The California Wellness Foundation recognized the potential and promise offered by our approach to health reporting. They supported our efforts from day one,” said Springmann. “Were it not for their funding, there would have been no day two, and that was eight years ago. I am very grateful for their support.”
Life Love & Health has changed, matured, and grown from its original product, a daily 90-second show which is still on the air. Springmann and his team now produce multiple one-hour programs, custom Podcasts for hospitals and medical centers, plus broadcast and on-line content for health and medical service providers.
Here are samples of recent work:
Segment A (0:00 – 11:00)
LLH Diversity: Dr. Brenda Wade on Power Choices & Quantum Thinking
How do people make decisions about their health? According to Dr. Brenda Wade, psychologist and television host, the principles of Quantum Thinking influence our life choices, along with our culture, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, level of education, economics and life experiences. And what is Quantum Thinking? Life Love & Health: Special Edition Executive Producer Christopher Springmann discovers that you don’t an advanced degree in theoretical physics to engage in Quantum Thinking. This term, coined by Dr. Wade and her husband, economist and futurist Gerald Harris, is really about looking for possibility in your life. Quantum Thinkers identify and pursue their most creative, constructive and unlimited thoughts about life, relationships, finances and business. Dr. Wade talks about her book Power Choices: 7 Milestones on Your Journey to Wholeness, Love, Joy and Peace, in which she demonstrates the power of bringing together psychology and spirituality to transform lives.
More about Brenda Wade
Dr. Brenda Wade is a clinical psychologist specializing in couples and family therapy. Her private practice in San Francisco, California has an international reach. A protégé of the world-renowned author and therapist Dr. Virginia Satir, Dr. Wade’s approach is both humanistic and practical. She regularly appears on CNN and NBC’s Today Show as a psychology expert. Featured on shows such as Oprah and Good Morning America, she hosted both the nationally syndicated Can This Marriage Be Saved? and the national PBS Pledge Special Power Choices. A regular contributor to Essence magazine and other major publications, she also hosts Black Renaissance on the CW network. Dr. Wade is the author of four books, including Power Choices, 99 Things Women Wish They Knew Before Falling in Love, and, with Brenda Richardson, What Mama Couldn’t Tell Us About Love and Love Lessons: A Guide to Transforming Relationships. She received her B.S. in Biology at the University of Puget Sound in Washington and completed her Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Clinical Psychology at the University of Washington. She is former Adjunct Professor of John F. Kennedy University, San Francisco State University, and Antioch University West. She developed the Power Coaches Program to train participants in her unique style of coaching that immediately transforms peoples’ lives – moving them to healthier and happier states of being.
Segment B (11:01 – 22:00)
LLH Diversity: Dr. James Bennett & James Brown’s prostate
Even when you’re the Hardest Working Man in Show Biz, or maybe especially when you live that kind of high-intensity lifestyle, it’s important to stay on top of critical health issues. That was the lesson when performing and recording artist James Brown, a.k.a. “The Godfather of Soul,” was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His concerns were very real: possible death, incontinence and impotence. His choice of a physician/surgeon? Dr. James Bennett, MD, a fellow ”country guy” from Georgia, an African American and one of the very best urologists in America. Life Love & Health: Special Edition Executive Producer Christopher Springmann was honored when the late Mr. Brown gave permission for this exclusive interview with Dr. Bennett, as he believed in community and health literacy. Here’s an excerpt from that interview.
CS: Mr. Brown seemed like a pretty good patient.
JB: Absolutely. He was a wonderful guy to deal with.
CS: And tell me, in response to the reporter’s questions when he walked out the front door here, what did he say?
JB: He said, “I feel good.” Basically, you know, he is a country guy. I mean, I’m a country guy. I grew up in Elberton, Georgia, and he grew up not far, about 80, 85 miles from me. And so we had a natural connection with one another. And what most people — you know, you don’t see that side of him. All you see is, you know, him being on the stage, or the bad side that everybody knows about. But once you take the time to really learn him, you’ll find that he’s a very sensitive and a very humble kind of individual. I had to make him stop saying, yes sir, yes sir, Dr. Bennett, whatever you say, Dr. Bennett to me because it was somewhat embarrassing. Here’s an idol saying sir to me and he’s much older than me. And finally, he said to me at the end of it all, is, “I really — I love you. I mean, and I really feel that I have an obligation to give back to the community and I want to work with you to help raise many of the issues in men’s health.”
CS: A few more good patients like that and you’ll be out of a job.
JB: Well — well, I don’t mind being out of this job. This is a good thing, you know. Any time I can improve the health of the community at large, you know, I’ve truly been a good physician.
More about James Bennett
Dr. James K. Bennett, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a Georgia native whose enthusiasm for medicine began at Clark College in 1976 where he graduated summa cum laude. After receiving his medical degree from Duke University in 1979, Dr. Bennett attended Emory University, where he completed an internship in surgery and a residency in urology. His enthusiasm continues today through the establishment of a urology practice providing quality health care. Honored as the National Medical Association Practitioner of the Year, Dr. Bennett is an activist in the treatment and education of prostate cancer. He was the first Georgia urologist to perform cryosurgical abalation of the prostate. He also created an educational film featuring Dr. Louis Sullivan entitled Prostate Cancer in Black Men, which has been used nationwide by the American Cancer Society. Dr. Bennett’s video credits include The Next River to Cross, narrated by Les Brown, as well as Prostate Cancer which was narrated by Sydney Poitier. Dr. Bennett is clinically affiliated with Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine and serves as co-director of the Department of Urology at Shepherd Center. He is the author of many medical articles on urologic topics and often conducts symposia in the medical field. Dr. Bennett’s research endeavors include clinical trials generated by the National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical companies as well as “in-house” studies designed and managed by Midtown Urology’s Division of Medical Research.
For more information, visit Midtown-urology.com
Segment C (22:01 – 33:00)
LLH Diversity: Dr. Subhakar Mutyala on advances in cancer therapy
Your Health Matters host Christopher Springmann speaks with Dr. Subhakar Mutyala, a radiation oncologist at Scott & White Healthcare. He’s here to discuss how, given the severity of cancer, cancer treatment is a rapidly evolving branch of medical science. And brachytherapy, a radiation treatment for cancer that places radioactive “seeds” within the patient’s body, is becoming an important addition to surgery and chemotherapy. A new system called the Novalis offers a more concentrated attack on cancerous cells, accomplishing in three to five sessions over two weeks what might take up to seven weeks and many more treatments with traditional radiation therapy. While Dr. Mutyala makes it clear that brachytherapy is not by itself the ultimate cure for cancer, he provides a clear description of its effectiveness and relative comfort to the patient.
More about Subhakar Mutyala
Dr. Subhakar Mutyala is Chairman of the Radiation Oncology Department at Scott & White Healthcare’s Temple, Texas clinic. He earned a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University, an M.D. from Texas A&M University College of Medicine, and an M.P.H from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York. He trained in general surgery at Mercer University’s Medical Center of Central Georgia, in radiation oncology at University of Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital, and in brachytherapy at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Currently an Associate Professor of Radiology at Texas A&M, Dr. Mutyala joined Scott & White in 2010 with a patient care emphasis on brachytherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery.
More about Scott & White Healthcare
When Arthur C. Scott, M.D., and Raleigh R. White Jr., M.D., began their medical practice in Temple, Texas in 1897, they shared one fundamental conviction: medicine must serve the people. Today, Scott & White Healthcare is a fully integrated health system — the largest multi-specialty practice in Texas and the sixth largest group practice in the nation. Scott & White employs more than 1,100 health care providers and research scientists who care for patients covering 25,000 square miles across Central Texas.
To hear additional Your Health Matters podcasts, click HERE!
Segment D (33:01 – 44:00)
LLH Diversity: Dr. Joel Lopez & Sam Ching on pharmaceutical medicine
We go to doctors for their medical knowledge, and part of that knowledge is expressed by what doctors prescribe for us. To further explore the use of medicine in medical practice, Life Love & Health: Special Edition Executive Producer Christopher Springmann speaks with Dr. Joel Lopez, a San Francisco holistic medical physician, and compounding pharmacist, Sam Ching. Dr. Lopez says, “My mission is to create optimal results for my clients. I incorporate various modalities such as nutritional medicine, functional medicine, homotoxicology, mesotherapy, detoxification, I.V. nutritional therapies, biofeedback, and bioidentical hormone replacement, among others. I believe in the mind-body connection and as such treat the whole person, taking into account their physical, mental, social, spiritual and environmental health issues. This unique and individualized approach to health care creates results far greater than the individual components offered by other practitioners.” Pharmacist Sam Ching joins Dr. Lopez to explain his role in communicating with patients, who often feel more comfortable discussing new medications with the person dispensing them.
More about Dr. Joel Lopez
Dr. Joel Lopez, M.D., C.N.S., is an Integrative Medicine physician and a Certified Nutrition Specialist. After completing his residency in Internal Medicine at Chicago’s Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in 1996, Dr. Lopez continued his medical training; aligning his work with his personal philosophies. He studied with complementary alternative medical pioneers such as Dr. Gus Prosch, Ayurvedic specialist Dr. Robert Willix, Dr. Chiedu Nchekwube and Dr. Paul Lynn. “I believe that optimal health is not just the absence of disease, but more importantly, having a well-functioning body, mind, and spirit,” says Dr. Lopez. “I subscribe to the Hippocratic Oath of ‘First, do no harm.’ As such, I use the safest, most gentle modalities to begin with (such as dietary and lifestyle changes) and proceed from there. I believe in not just treating the symptoms of disease but addressing the root cause or causes of the problem as well.”
More about Sam Ching
Sam Ching is a board-certified pharmacist, with over 35 years of experience as a compounding pharmacist. He has owned and operated independent pharmacies throughout San Francisco since 1968 and currently maintains a drugstore in the city. Mr. Ching is a former member of the California Medical Quality Review Committee and has consulted on a variety of health care issues for organizations including Kaiser Hospitals and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
© 2011 by On the Path Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.
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