PROJECT - Known Health Risks & Healing
I am a Queer Farmer from Red Wing MN, where I recently completed a 6yr stint on our local Human Rights Commission which was diversely included: 2 local Blacks, 1 Zambian Black, 1 Native Am, and myself (see web bio).
Conferring, we discovered that our local Mayo Health Care Facility collects racial and gender ID demographic information which appears on the Patient FaceSheet at the time of appt - but Staff DO NOT use this information to help care for minority patients - ALL of Whom have KNOWN HEALTH RISKS!
A supportive City Council member put us in touch with the VP of local Mayo Admin - and she agreed to meet and discuss.
At our 1st meeting, we asked for 3 things:
1. Medical Staff ask All Self-Identified Minorities the following question: "I see you are in a demographic that has known health risks - how's it going for you?"
2. Our Human Rights group be involved in staff training of how to ask this question - what to expect as responses, and how to achieve optimal health care for Minorities.
3. Upon successful implementation - our HRC would join with Mayo in designing publicity of this new practice. Great story of how a HRC from a tiny town, influenced/improved the practice of an International Medical Establishment!
Our HRC group met with Mayo monthly for 6 months - with no progress toward our stated goals - so in Sep 2022, we discontinued the meetings.
Over the past 2 years, I have continued to think of possible ways to push this issue forward. Recognizing that "social invisibility" is a major contributor to physical/psychological/emotional stress for all minorities.
This simple question: "How are you doing with your known health risks?", signals to the Person - "Your unique health concerns" are of interest to us - a major icon of dominant culture.
This simple question, which can be easily fitted into the current 10min medical visit, would have a powerful healing effect for all Minorities!
I thought of contacting a Human Rights Attorney to file a Class Action lawsuit of Medical Negligence - "knowingly ignoring known health risks of millions of patients." Seems like it could have some traction.
But then I also thought of how this inherent and on-going tragic story of "invisible racism" could be the basis for a very interesting and impactful theatre performance - revealing the responses from series of varying minority patients who, during a typical medical appointment, were first asked this question:
"I see you are in a demographic that has known health risks - How's it going for you?"
The range and depth of responses would be very illuminating - to everyone - the ignorant white culture, and the internalized oppression carried by Minorities.
Seems ripe with healing possibilities!