By Carl I. Walters II., Chief Executive Officer, Outpatient Medical Center Inc. (a Federally Qualified Health System)
Federally Qualified Health Centers have a moral, ethical, social responsibility and federal mandate to provide personalized, professional, medically-appropriate and culturally-sensitive primary care services to anyone needing them. Additionally, they have a federal mandate to reach out and help improve the health of our nation’s most vulnerable patient populations; which is the objective of this article. Did you know?
- The African-American population is the least healthy ethnic group in the United States
- African Americans are the poorest ethnic group in the United States
- African Americans have had the lowest median household income in the United States for the past 50 years
- African Americans live in some of the country’s lowest quality housing. Asthma is related to poor housing and African Americans are disproportionately affected by asthma
- African Americans live in the poorest neighborhoods with the highest rates of homicide
- Access to healthy foods is oftentimes a challenge in African American communities
- Black neighborhoods tend to have fewer supermarkets than that found in other neighborhoods
- Rates of obesity and diabetes are highest in poor African American communities
- African American males are six times more likely than other groups to die of homicide and firearms are the primary method
- In 2014 African Americans accounted for 13% of the US population but over 57% of the victims of homicide by firearms
- African Americans had the highest age-adjusted death rate of any ethnic group in 2013 (1083.3 per 100,000 standard population for African American males)
- The African American infant mortality rate has always been 2.5 times greater than other groups since this data has been collected
- In 2013 the rate of pre-term deliveries was 1.6 times higher for African American women. In 2014, low birth weight and preterm births before 37 weeks gestation were highest among African American women
- African American infants have a significantly higher neonatal and post neonatal mortality rate than any other ethnic group and; the major risk factors impacting African Americans death rates are:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Current smoking
- Physical inactivity
- Obesity
As part of Outpatient Medical Center Inc’s commitment to keeping you informed and healthy, if you have a family history of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, behavioral instability and you’re not currently under the care of a primary care clinician, I personally encourage you to pick up the phone and call us today at:
Natchitoches Health Center: 1640 Breazeale Springs St., Natchitoches, LA 71457 1-800-268-5872
Leesville Health Center: 1603 B Boone St., Leesville, LA 71446 1-800-308-7569
Tallulah Health Center: 804 Beech St., Tallulah, LA 1-800-308-7566
Let Outpatient Medical Center Inc. partner with you to help keep your family and you healthy and whole. On a personal note, after being a healthcare executive for close to 30 years, I am tired of seeing our community family members debilitated and/or dying at alarming rates and at increasingly younger ages – because we won’t go to the doctor consistently to stay healthy and whole.
I close, pleading with you to help us curb the number of community family members we continue to lose because they won’t come to the doctor. Whether you have the ability to pay for your services or not, our dedicated staff would be honored to be afforded the opportunity to care for your family. At Outpatient Medical Center Inc. it is not about money. It’s about you; because keeping your family and you healthy and whole is what we do. Be healthy, in touch; informed and it remains our privilege and pleasure to care for you.
OMC has been awarded $175,700 to expand its Behavioral Health services.
If you haven’t received core medical or dental preventative services in awhile or you’re not under the care of a primary care clinician, pick up the phone and call an OMC office in your area to schedule an appointment.
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Tuesday from 8 am – 6 pm
Wednesday from 8 am – 5 pm
Thursday from 8 am – 8 pm
Friday from 8 am – 1 pm
OMC is now accepting new patients and welcomes active duty, reserve, retired military Veterans and their families. OMC is now offering flu shots. Visit our website at http://www.outpatientmedical.org.
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