Health
Creating Stronger Paths for Health and Learning for Children
De’Borah Gibson-Harris and daughter Za’niyah are clients of Raising St. Louis, a partnership between health, education and community organizations to create better health and educational outcomes for children by the time they enter the third grade. (Wiley Price/St. Louis American)
By Sandra Jordan
Special to the NNPA from the St. Louis American
Beginning with pregnancy and continuing until the child is ready to enter the third grade, health, education and community support organizations are collaborating to give moms and their new babies a greater bond while boosting the child’s development. It’s Raising St. Louis, a program launched in January 2014 only in a few zip codes – 63112, 63113, 63115 and 63120.
“Our primary long-term goal is meaningful improvement in health and school outcome by third grade,” said Thomas Santel, lead developer of Raising St. Louis. It works systematically with effective programs already in existence, and connects expectant mothers and new moms with babies to those services.
Raising St. Louis chose the four zip codes because data indicated those locations may have the most need.
“The demographics in those four zip codes indicated significant challenges and appeared to us to be a little bit less served by various organizations, so we just thought we’d start there,” Santel added.
Services for mothers and babies signing up for Raising St. Louis are free of charge throughout pregnancy and early childhood. The visit at-home (or another convenient place) program includes services from Nurses for Newborns and Parents as Teachers; information about health, safety and child development; parenting tips, rewards and referrals for other resources, such as food pantries and shelters.
“All of my kids were spaced out, so I was pretty much clueless and was trying to remember what it was like when I had a baby,” said mother of three, De’Borah Gibson-Harris of St. Louis. She has a 14-year old son, a 9-year-old daughter and a 15-month-old daughter Za’niyah, who she describes as her high-energy baby. Gibson-Harris said the program was a welcome refresher course during her pregnancy.
The visits after Za’niyah was born have been impactful as well.
“They come out – they teach her new things and show her things and she mocks what they do,” Gibson-Harris described. “Za’niyah loves picking out the books.”
In fact, her baby’s curiosity during one visit turned into a development milestone.
“When they switched my worker … the first time Crystal came, my baby was messing with her shoes and I think that’s what started her crawling, because everywhere Crystal moved her shoes, she went.”
Mothers we talked to particularly enjoy the monthly group sessions with other parents.
“I like them, because they have the group connection meetings where you get to know other parents and know their experiences,” Gibson-Harris said. “Some experiences are alike and other peoples’ experiences are completely different.”
“It helps you interact with other parents and see their perspective on things too. I really enjoy the program,” said Keisha Ross of St. Louis.
Ross is mother to an 8-month-old daughter Jon’nae, after having three sons, ages 15, 8 and 7. She said the program has helped her interact and better understand her baby.
“It was like starting over again, but some things that I did know but they helped me understand it,” Ross said. “As my baby was growing, sometimes I wanted to know exactly what was happening, like why the baby was sleeping so much and they were telling me how the brain works, and all of that. It’s pretty much going into detail so that you fully understand what’s going on with your baby – health-wise, milestones, all of it.”
Raising St. Louis’ kid’s cash program is an incentive for the mothers.
“It’s like doing the stuff you have to do but you get rewarded for it also, like when you take your baby to get the shots and stuff,” Ross said. “You show them the shot record and they give you the kid’s cash for it.”
Raising St. Louis partners include BJC Healthcare, Father’s Support Center, St. Louis, Barnes Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing; Maternal, Child and Family Health Coalition; Nurses for Newborns; Parents As Teachers; St. Louis College of Pharmacy; St. Louis Public Schools; and Washington University in St. Louis’ School of Medicine and Brown School of Social Work.
“A lot of programs are made for teens and stuff and it’s really for all ages, and I like it,” Ross added.
Currently, Raising St. Louis is working with more than 80 families that live in those four zip codes. If families are already registered and moved in other locations, the services do follow them to other areas in Missouri. And they are expanding their recruiting area by two zip codes on June 1.
“We’re going to add 63106 and 63107,” Santel said.
To register for Raising St. Louis, call 314-747-7785 or for more information, visit www.raisingstl.org.
Community
As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate
POST NEWS GROUP — Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.
Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins
Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.
Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.
Families are encouraged to:
- Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
- Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.
If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.
See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.
FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13
Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:
City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.
Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:
- Call: (510) 981-5350
- Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
- Book online
Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:
- Medicaid-eligible
- Uninsured
- Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
- American Indian or Alaska Native
If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.
FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES
Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.
Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.
Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.
VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES
- City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
- TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
- Family support services:
Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.
Community
As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate
POST NEWS GROUP — Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.
Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins
Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.
Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.
Families are encouraged to:
- Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
- Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.
If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.
See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.
FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13
Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:
City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.
Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:
- Call: (510) 981-5350
- Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
- Book online
Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:
- Medicaid-eligible
- Uninsured
- Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
- American Indian or Alaska Native
If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.
FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES
Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.
Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.
Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.
VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES
- City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
- TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
- Family support services:
Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.
Black History
Closing the Gap: What the Data and Frontline Experiences Reveal About Cancer in Black California
OAKLAND POST — According to a UC Davis study, “The Burden of Cancer Among Black/African Americans in California,” Black cancer patients were more likely than White patients to be diagnosed at a later stage and to have multiple health conditions, making treatment more difficult. They were also far more likely to live in low-income communities and rely on public insurance—evidence that economic inequality and barriers to care are helping drive disparities in the state’s cancer crisis.
Photo
Kris Benz, a disabled Black veteran, is no stranger to cancer. In 2012, he was diagnosed with salivary duct carcinoma, a cancer so rare it strikes only about 1 in a million people each year.” But he beat it after six weeks of radiation and removal of his right salivary gland.
“I was cancer-free after six months,” he said.
Now, a new concerning mass has appeared in his neck despite months of scans. His doctor suspects it is cancerous, but Benz, who lives near Palm Springs, will not know for certain until a biopsy.
Compounding that uncertainty is a gap in his coverage. Benz is two work credits short of qualifying for Medicare, but returning to work could jeopardize his Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability status and funding. Buying Medicare Part A would cost $568 a month, leaving him “winging it.”
Benz is also frustrated that the VA will not schedule his scan and biopsy before his consultation, which will require another round of appointments afterward.
“It’s about money,” he said. “Doctor’s appointments, they get the money. There’s no preventive medicine here anymore.”
Although he calls the VA “a great organization,” he believes it is hampered by bureaucracy. For now, he remains “in limbo” waiting to complete his appointments.
His experience reflects one of the most persistent health equity challenges facing Black communities: access to care.
According to a UC Davis study, “The Burden of Cancer Among Black/African Americans in California,” Black cancer patients were more likely than White patients to be diagnosed at a later stage and to have multiple health conditions, making treatment more difficult. They were also far more likely to live in low-income communities and rely on public insurance—evidence that economic inequality and barriers to care are helping drive disparities in the state’s cancer crisis.
That same study reports that between 2014 and 2018, the ten cancers most frequently diagnosed among Black/African American women in California were, from one to ten, breast, lung, colorectal, uterine, pancreatic, kidney, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid, myeloma, and ovarian cancers. During the same period, the ten most commonly occurring cancers among Black/African American men in California were, from one to ten, prostate, lung, colorectal, kidney, bladder, liver, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic, myeloma, and oropharyngeal cancers.
Researchers attribute the gaps not to biology but to social and economic inequality connected to structural racism. An American Cancer Society analysis found educational attainment was a stronger predictor of the mortality gap than race alone.
“These disparities are not because Black people are inherently less healthy,” said Rhonda Smith, executive director of the California Black Health Network. “They are the result of decades of inequitable policies, structural racism, unequal access to quality care, and chronic underinvestment in our communities.”
Dr. Flojaune Cofer, an epidemiologist and public health policy expert, said health outcomes are shaped as much by circumstances as by biology. She traced her understanding of disparities to her father’s death from heart disease at age 47. He began smoking as a child when tobacco companies marketed cigarettes aggressively and disproportionately to Black communities.
“My father’s story is not about individual choices,” Cofer said. “My father’s story speaks to institutional and systemic harm.”
“Health is not just what happens in the doctor’s office,” she added. Social determinants include neighborhood conditions, housing stability, nutritious food, transportation, and the ability to take time off work for care.
At federally qualified health centers, tight appointment schedules can make it difficult for medical providers to detect cancer early and earn the trust patients need to discuss troubling symptoms.
“We have only 15 minutes when you are working in a federally qualified health center — you have 15 minutes to assess, diagnose, treat, and write your note per patient,” said Jamie Garcia, a registered nurse who has been certified in oncology nursing for more than a decade and works at AdventHealth White Memorial in East Los Angeles.
Garcia said the rushed pace, driven partly by billing requirements tied to federal funding, leaves little time for providers to build relationships with patients. It can also allow health care professionals’ implicit biases to go unrecognized and unchallenged.
For Garcia’s patients, who are predominantly Black and Latino residents of surrounding communities, the consequences can be immediate and alarming. Many arrive with visibly advanced tumors after going without insurance, adequate coverage, a primary care physician or routine screenings.
Garcia recalled treating one patient whose tumor had grown large enough to be visible through the skin.
“The fact that I even got to see that is a failure and an atrocity,” she said.
Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) sought to reduce another barrier through Assembly Bill 1570, which would have eliminated out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging. It passed the Assembly Health Committee 16-0 but died in the Appropriations Committee. Wilson plans to reintroduce it during the next legislative session without biopsy coverage.
Wilson announced her breast cancer diagnosis in April 2023. She received timely, quality care but “saw others with similar diagnoses face different outcomes.”
“Some people who got diagnosed at the same time as me — their timing of their surgeries and treatment was delayed in comparison to my own,” she said. “Watching people go through and suffering unnecessarily was heartbreaking to me.”
Her follow-up imaging required only a $10 copay. “I’ve had friends have to pay $1,000 to get that secondary screening,” Wilson said.
Smith warned that policy changes could further erode access. California’s Every Woman Counts screening program is losing funding and being scaled back, she said. About one in three Black Californians relies on Medi-Cal, according to the state.
Smith also cited federal Medi-Cal work requirements projected to cause 1.1 million Californians to lose coverage by 2029-30. “Health equity is no longer simply about improving outcomes,” she said. “It’s about protecting access.”
Californians seeking low-cost cancer screening can contact a local federally qualified health center or the California Department of Public Health’s Every Woman Counts program. The California Black Health Network also offers referrals and advocacy resources.
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