By Dianne Anderson

In the Inland Empire, Dr. Denise Roberts also works to close the gap of unequal access and historic racism in medical services. It adds up.

Last week, at Riverside Community Hospital, she hosted a table for their Black History Expo where their Black nurses are mindful of the need to rebuild community trust with patience. Whenever she is out, she’s careful to keep it real, and have empathy.

She knows the reason behind their reluctance.

“I talk to them down home. I can use certain language, body tones, I’m not offending anyone. They get me. They understand,” said Dr. Roberts, president of the local chapter Greater Inland Empire Black Nurses Association.

Likewise, when she sees stand-offish body language, she never takes offense, or thinks they have an attitude.

“You don’t walk away. You say something that may make them more comfortable. Eventually, they’ll say ‘You can talk to me,’” she said.

She and her nurses can be found wherever the community gathers, at restaurants, senior centers, at churches. A few weeks ago at a soul food place, she came across several in the community she wanted to help, but they looked at her and kept walking.

A lot of times, she said people are seeing a group of Black nurses for the first time. She always ends the conversation with a positive note and never gives up.

“Because you live in the same skin I’m in doesn’t mean I trust you right away. We go to senior centers and they don’t want you touching them. I give them respect. Now when I go, they tell me ‘I saw my doctor, and you can take my blood pressure.’ I build trust in the community,” she said.

As a professor, she loves explaining the process of illness. She hands out one-page fact sheets with health notes with all the references from credible sources.

“I give them my card and I say now you have a nurse in your back pocket,” she said. “If you have any questions regarding lab work or test results, call me. If I don’t have the answer I’ll find someone who has the answers.”

DEI seems like a dirty word lately. Recently BNA was in D.C., where the organization reinforced its commitment to carry on as they have been from the start, focused on Black health services.

Their national organization started because there was no welcome mat for Black nurses anywhere, at the time not even the American Nurses Association.

“We’re not changing who we are. When you look into history, Black nurses were left out big time,” she said. “The reason [we’re here is] because there was no diversity. We needed something where nurses are part of a professional organization and to see someone who looks like them.”

Since Dr. Roberts took the helm as BNA president, the local effort has grown from five to almost 40 members. She said anyone can join, as long as they support the mission.

Recently, she was excited to speak with local BNA leader, Willie Grant, now retired and with the Nightingale Association.

“I just talked to her on the phone for a long time, I let her know I’m trying my best and she was happy with the things I’m doing. She was a powerhouse back in the day,” Dr. Roberts said.

Roberts also had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Betty Smith Williams, a founding member and past president of NBNA, now with over 308,000 Black nurse members in the U.S., Caribbean and Africa.

She said Dr. Smith Williams stands as a testament to what good health care looks like over a lifetime.

“No cane, no walker. She’s tall and slender. This lady still got it going on and she’s 95,” she said.

Like many in the Black community, first-year medical student Mena Fam tries to find the most effective ways of reaching those needing life-saving information and health resources, but it’s not always easy.

Within his own family, he has to work extra hard at coaxing his grandmother to go to the doctor because she doesn’t trust them, even if she’s in pain.

The trust factor is a familiar story.

Fam, a participant of UCI PRIME LEAD ABC program, said their program is all about creating health professionals to meet the growing needs of the African, Black and Caribbean communities.

As insurance premiums soar, he worries that more people are going without care, while others cannot find doctors who look like them, or care. Pop-up clinics are critical for immediate access and follow-up services.

“It makes healthcare seem less threatening to patients, it makes patients more likely to trust doctors’ healthcare and the treatment. Maybe if they have a good experience, they’re more likely to follow up at a clinic,” said Fam, with UCI PRIME Leadership Education to Advance Diversity – African, Black and Caribbean.

In partnership with New Hope Presbyterian Church, Black doctors and medical students in primary care, pediatrics, OB/Gyn, and other specialties will be on site with their new ultrasound kits for a no-pain glance into patient health.

It’s not as broad spectrum as MRI, but Fam said the iPad software is amazingly accurate to view deep inside.

“There is a big emphasis on ultrasound, it’s a nice tool. We have a musculoskeletal session on ultrasound. You can look at knee joints, tendons and ligaments. We can look at vasculature and the heart. UCI gave every single medical student a [ultrasound kit],” he said.

Dr. Candice Taylor Lucas, who heads the program, said their medical student scholars are taking the lead, mentoring and serving diverse communities of Orange County, and beyond. They also work hard on health issues that disproportionately impact African, Black and Caribbean communities.

Last weekend, their students partnered with PRIME LC (Leadership Council) at the statewide UC PRIME conference, hosted at UC Irvine.  There, 50 pre-health students aspiring to become physicians who serve minority and under-resourced communities came together with PRIME medical student mentors from across the state.

“When reflecting about Black History Month, I can’t help but think about the fact that PRIME LEAD-ABC is engaged in history-making work,” she said. “This is just one small example of the myriad of impacts our students have. They also partner with faith-based institutions to host health fairs like the annual Community Wellness Fair in partnership with New Hope Presbyterian Church, which will occur on April 26 this year.”

PRIME LEAD ABC, see https://medschool.uci.edu/education/medical-education/mission-based-programs/prime-lead-abc

On the upcoming health fair https://mynewhopepres.org/

The  National Black Nurses Association https://nbna.org/