Partially because of the systemic injustice and discrimination we have faced over the past century, American Indians and Alaskan Natives are at greater risk of being victims of violence then any other race. Colonization plays a major role in why these disparities exist.
Four out of every five homeless people are sober. Drugs are one reason why many people end up homeless, but they aren’t the only one.
Whenever I tell my story, people are always amazed at how easy it is to unravel a seemingly secure life.
With the constant stream of tragedies stemming from domestic violence people often ask, “What could have been done to prevent this from happening?” The reality is that a staggering 5.78 million Californians experience domestic violence every year. Domestic violence homicides in public places put entire communities at risk of harm. And yet, we know much can be done to prevent these deaths which devastate families and communities.
Health care advocates are always working on ways to make sure Medicaid is around to help people living in poverty. This is a good thing, but I also think it’s important to ask: Why do so many people require Medicaid? Why are so many people living and working in poverty? Why are we not working on more ways to lift people out of destitution?
Years have passed since I took care of 16-year-old Andy, but I’ll never forget him or his story.
As he sat in my exam room about half a decade ago, Andy, whose name has been changed, told me that his mom had kicked him out of the house when he told her he was gay.
He was 14.
We’ve heard the individual stories, tagged #MeToo and #TimesUp on social media. But what about the collective cost of sexual assault?
Research we published last month shows that the annual cost of sexual violence in California is $140 billion.
Los Angeles has at least 328 motels with a combined 10,259 rooms.
And on any given night, the city struggles to find shelter for nearly 35,000 people, many of whom have chronic health issues.
Children living in high poverty neighborhoods—a disproportionate number of whom are children of color—are more likely to die from child abuse.
My patients in my clinic in South Los Angeles are children from high poverty areas. However, regardless of where they practice, pediatricians have a critical role in the recognition and prevention of child abuse.
The second week after school starts, kids with respiratory illnesses—everything from simple colds to asthma attacks—fill my clinic. As a pediatrician I expect this.
But this year was different. Many of the kids had atypically high fevers and body aches with their coughs and congestion. They had influenza.
I was in a terrible car accident shortly after my 18th birthday. I had three surgeries that were supposed to help relieve my pain. They didn’t. OxyContin, an opioid pain-relief medication, was my best friend until it was my only friend.