Support Team

Men’s Health Month

Bringing Awareness to Men

Health Issues During the Month of June – Unicity Healthcare

June is National Men’s Health Month! This month is all about encouraging the men in your life (including you, men out there!) to take care of their bodies by eating right, exercising, and working to prevent disease. The official symbol for the month is a blue ribbon and the purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of diseases including cancer, heart disease, and depression.

West Oakland Health Council Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Wednesday, May 5 in 2021, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, a popular misconception. Instead, it commemorates a single battle. In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member of the Indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. The country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.

In response, France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces.

France, however, ruled by Napoleon III, used the opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large force of troops and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.

This day in Black History–February 22nd

On this day in 1950, legendary basketball player Julius “Dr J” Erving was born.

Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J.Widely known as Dr. J, Julius Erving, an NBA legend who changed the game with his own unique playing style consisting of spins and swirls in the air, was born in Roosevelt, New York, on Feb. 22, 1950.

Erving attended the University of Massachusetts and entered the American Basketball Association in 1971 as a player for the Virginia Squires. After two seasons, he went on to play for the New York Nets until 1976 when he was picked up by the Philadelphia 76ers.

The team soon began to flourish with Erving’s presence and the team took the NBA championship in 1983. Dr. J was also an 11 time NBA all-star and a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1977 and 1983. In 1987, Erving retired from the NBA and was considered one of the greatest dunkers of all time. He has scored 30,000 points in his professional career.

In 1993, Erving was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Since retiring he has worked as a sports analyst for NBC and pursued business opportunities within the league such as holding an executive position with the Orlando Magic.

On this day February 22nd in 1989, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince won the first rap Grammy for their single “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

“Parents Just Don’t Understand” is the second single from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince‘s second studio album, He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance at the 1989 Grammy Awards, one of the two songs to do so before the award was discontinued in 1991. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. [1] The song was released as a single in spring 1988, referenced several times in the television show The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air and was ranked number 96 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. The music video was featured in the 2003 film Malibu’s Most Wanted.

Healthy Soul Food For Black History Month

man-preparing-healthy-soul-food — It’s Black History Month, the perfect time to cook some healthy soul food. Take a look at these three great recipes.

February is Black History Month; the perfect time to cook healthy soul food. You can sit back and relax with your family and friends. These cuisines do not have to be rich when consumed. We learn new customs and ways of enjoying great meals, and pass on knowledge of food to our loved ones. Take a look at some of these awesome recipes to enjoy:

Chicken & Cornmeal Dumplings

Don’t worry, you won’t be a dumpling forever. This type of Chicken and Dumplings is hearty with a generous amount of vegetables, such as carrots, celery, and corn. You would eat 5 grams of fiber per serving. If you are avoiding high calories and amounts of sodium, this comforting soul food is the meal for you. It is inexpensive per ingredient to create and the taste is even more priceless.

Maple Whipped Yams

With this meal, you will be head over heels. Maple Whipped Yams is a wonderful sweet treat. This is healthy soul food at its finest, as you can blend the mixture to whipped consistency. Olive oil is a nice touch for heart health. The cost is minimal with only a few ingredients. Overall, this meal is about 220 calories and 2 grams of protein. It is also low in sugar–10 grams sounds great to us! With this meal, you will be head over heels.

Green Bean Casserole

Be lean, string bean! A home-style casserole like this one is not complete without fresh thyme, plum tomatoes, and sliced mushrooms. You will be pleased to know that you will fill your body with about 170 calories. A healthful Southern staple needs all the veggies for you to be happy and energized. Plus, making a light and homemade sauce that reduces the sodium is definitely worth it.

Covered CA Joins with African American Health Leaders to Address Vaccine Confidence

Greetings!

Today, Covered California joined with African American health leaders to encourage Black Californians to address vaccine confidence, get inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available and to sign up for quality health insurance coverage through Covered California or Medi-Cal.

Speakers included Dr. David Carlisle, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science- Los Angeles, Dr. Elaine Batchlor, Chief Executive Officer of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital and Dr. Adrian James Chief Medical Officer of West Oakland Health Council. These health leaders provided up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 and its impact on communities of color and health care delivery, as well as the importance of getting vaccinated.

Two recent national surveys show that Black Americans are the racial and ethnic group least likely to get vaccinated. The studies pointed to a fear of side effects and a lack of confidence in the government and medical community, something California health leaders say needs to be addressed and acknowledged to move forward with protecting our communities from COVID-19.

A Pew Research Center survey found that only 42 percent of Black Americans said they would “definitely” or “probably” take the COVID-19 vaccine if it were available today, which is well below the results of Asian (83 percent), Hispanic (63 percent) and White (61 percent) groups. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey also found that willingness of Black adults (62 percent) to get vaccinated was lower than White (73 percent) and Hispanic (71 percent) groups. In addition, the most recent data from the California Department of Public Health shows that the rate of death associated with COVID-19 among Black Californians (7.1 percent) is nearly double the infection rate (4 percent).

The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of quality health care coverage. Right now, an estimated 1.2 million Californians are uninsured — including an estimated 67,000 African Americans — even though they are eligible for financial help through Covered California, or they qualify for low-cost or no-cost coverage through Medi-Cal.

In response to the crisis, and to ensure that Californians have the health care coverage they need during the pandemic, Covered California took the unprecedented step of giving consumers until December 30 to sign up for coverage that begins on January 1, 2021. Open enrollment ends January 30^th and consumers who sign up in January can have their coverage take effect on February 1, 2021.

Attached is a press release with more information about today’s event. Additionally, you can view today’s event at this LINK.

You can also help spread the word by encouraging your network to visit www.CoveredCA.com to learn more about their coverage options. Consumers can get free and confidential assistance, in a variety of languages from a certified enroller by having a certified enroller call them.

If you have any questions, please connect with us.

Sincerely,

Waynee Lucero

Testing is free and available to anyone with symptoms, and to any health care, front line, or essential worker even if they have no symptoms. COVID-19 symptoms cough, fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell.

COVID Testing Resources

Dr. Adrian James thoughts On Dr. King’s Legacy

“Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman”

–Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

…is true because it may lead to death which is the worst possible outcome.

In California, the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the African American community through:

1. Misinformation which enhances fear

2. Underlying medical conditions caused by inequality which make people more susceptible to illness caused by Covid 19

3. Inability to work from home

4. Inability to social distance

5. Further reduction in access to care because the California healthcare system is near maximum or exceeded its capacity

Adrian James, M.D.

Internal Medicine

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