Episode 6

This week our host’s  Nikki Akparewa and Karim Assalaam are discussing with Andre HarrisPhD(c).

A revolutionary 1st-year Ph.D. student at the University of Houston graduate program in Social Work; Andre Harris talks about his focus on health equity and social determinants of health for those with Sickle Cell.

Topics:

• Personal education journey impacted by secondary acute chest syndrome (synonym) by sickle

• The initial investment in social work as someone with sickle cell

• Toxic anti-black ideologies in the healthcare system perpetuated by a European-centered patriarchal society

• Provider racial bias of pain tolerance and adultifying BIPOC children

• Derailing legislation to extend Medicaid to those with sickle in Texas

• SCD patients are being criminalized for being victims of a system they are inherently born into

• Emergency department and the illogical idea of being drug seekers

“I want to have research that will influence policy to show legislatures and others in powerful positions (CMS, NIH, CDC) to understand we have to find the money, time, and compassion to provide for sickle cell patients, chronic disease patients, and rare disease patients to be able to be supported; not only in the medical aspect (drugs and treatments) but also in the social (transportation, education, housing) all of these need to be supplemented and provided for but we are failing sickle patients in this area.